Kmetija Štekar Merlot 2022

Notes of red fruit on the nose, cherry in particular, followed by mineral and vegetable hints. The sip is warm, soft and dry on the palate, with a good acidic shoulder. Excellent finish, ruby red color.

Štekar's Merlot is obtained from the homonymous grapes that come from the Slovenian Collio. Vinified via spontaneous fermentation in steel tanks, 10 days of maceration on the skins, then refined for a year in steel tanks. No yeast or sulfites added, unfiltered, fermented by natural methods.

Janko Štekar and his wife Tamara has been cultivating five hectares of vineyards for several generations in Goriška Brda, in western Slovenia between the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea, just over the border from Italy. The vineyards have the perfect location facing south and southwest on the terraces of the steep slopes. They are protected from the cold winds from the north, while the Burja wind from the east helps keeping humidity down.

Janko has a holistic approach to life and a goal of being self-sufficient while producing genuine wines that evoke emotions and reflect both the area and the winemaker himself. In the vineyard, he lets common sense rule in respect of nature. Harvesting is done by hand and the cultivation is organic, even though not all wines are certified.

The philosophy behind Kmetija Štekar is to explore the proud local traditions of winemaking through spontaneous fermentations and long macerations. Nothing is added in the cellar except a little sulphur before bottling to protect the wines from the transportation.