Santei Zelen

Nestled in the southwest corner of Slovenia, sandwiched between the lush Trnovo Forest Plateau and the rocky plateau of the Karst region is the Vipava Valley. Steep hills force the cool air rushing off the Alps to collide with the more moderate mild Mediterranean climate from the Adriatic. Vineyards are located on steep, karst mountain tops, where the temperature is cooler and the soil contains mineral-rich marl, which makes it incredibly helpful in drainage of rainfall. It can be extremely windy so the vines are deep-rooted allowing the winds to dry out the fruit while standing tall and strong. It is truly a stunningly gorgeous place where one can hike in the morning hours and dine on Michelin food while drinking amazing wine during the evening! 

Zelen is a rare local variety from Vipava Valley, with only 80 hectares left being cultivated in the world and for me, it is uniquely specific and speaks of its place in the world more than most. With the hands-off approach of Sandra and Matej Biziak, this Zelen is at once crushingly good while remaining uniquely of this place. 

A mere 24-hours of skin contact brings a hint of color but also allows a structure that I really like in this grape. There is a bit of linden tree flowers going on which comes across as a slightly honey note with a hint of floral (think, orange blossom, fresh white roses) - white peach, apricot & a pithy meyer lemon vibe. But don’t freak out - this is not a sweet wine at all! The minerality and mouth-watering salinity keeps it balanced, leaving you craving the next sip!

Seriously a wine to consider for your next trip to the beach or maybe a BBQ sipper while you grill the sausages you got at Beast & Cleaver! I had it recently with a big green salad (R’s garden greens, dehydrated carrots, fried halloumi & Salmonberry focaccia croutons!) and it was BOMB!!