2017 Zelen Lanthieri The Zelen is also an autochthonous child of the Vipava valley, and here the grapes also come from Slap. Vinified in steel tank. Zelen is the Slovenian word for ‘green’ and this colour is reflected brilliantly in the glass. The aromatic arc of the variety is characterised by its typical nutmeg spices. The old vines, up to sixty years of age, provide handsome tannins and concentrated structure. 

Alcohol: 11.5% Residual sugar: 3.6 g Acidity: 5.2 g 

In the picturesque Vipava Valley in the west of Slovenia, at the foot of the steep mountain slopes of the imposing Nanos Range, at over 1400 metres above sea level – this is where one finds the cooperative winery Vipava, founded in the year 1894 and rich in tradition. 

 

At Vipava 1894, attention is focused upon vinifying the best wines that the region can yield: authentic of character, with a precise expression of their origins. There are some 300 grower members of the co-op – these are the most important partners in this great undertaking, working with the proprietor, winegrower Hannes Sabathi from the Steiermark in Austria. For generations now, the local growers have proudly cultivated and cared for the unique cultural landscape of the valley, and now support the visions and plans of the Styrian winemaker with their deep store of experience and viticultural wisdom. 

 

In Vipava, grapevines root themselves down into the ubiquitous flysch soils, which are primarily composted of calcareous marl and sandstone, while on the valley floor, gravel without sediments predominates. Along with the distinctive flysch, there is one further factor determining the character of the wines – the Bora, or burja. This wind arises in the hills of the Nanos range, where the warm air from the Adriatic collides with the cold mountain currents out of the Balkans. The Bora blows nearly constantly through the   valley – frequently with ferocious untamed velocity, and makes a deep impression upon the landscape, the inhabitants, and the wine.