Description
Bojan Kobal honed his winemaking skills during a decade-long stint working with Angela Muir at Ptujska klet (Ptuj Winery), the oldest and most renowned winery in Slovenia. He made quite the name for himself there, considering the winery won over 195 gold and silver medals at prestigious wine competitions across the globe during his tenure. In 2015, Bojan launched his eponymous brand, ‘Kobal Wines’ with the goal to produce terroir-driven wines from the cool-climate Haloze subdistrict of the Lower Styria (Štajerska) region, located in the northeast corner of the country. Bojan’s vines, which are on average 35-years-old, are grown on marl-rich soils on very steep slopes and are planted to Sauvignon Blanc, Yellow Muscat, Pinot Grigio, Šipon (Furmint) and Blaufränkisch. Haloze’s hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters along with its steep terrain and sharp diurnal temperature fluctuations help to maintain vibrant acidities in the wines.
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Some of the wine was barrel fermented with native yeast to highlight the local terroir, and some was cold fermented to preserve varietal character and freshness. Additionally, a 36-hour skin maceration and lees ageing contributed to the wine’s depth and structure. After fermentation, the wine was held on the lees in stainless steel tanks until bottling when it was lightly filtered.
The bouquet is very herbaceous, suggesting spring grasses, bell pepper and a hint of tropical fruit. The palate shows bright flavors of passion fruit, papaya, tart green apple and cantaloupe, followed by underripe apricot and wet-stone minerality. The pleasant acidity is nicely balanced by a creaminess on the palate typical of wines matured on lees. Simple yet elegant, this is the perfect summer apéritif.
