Pinot Noir Blend, Sanctum 'Bubamara'

85% Pinot Noir/15% Syrah

This single vineyard Hiša (house) red is a barrel selection of pinot noir with a small addition of cool climate syrah. Made with a hands-off approach in order to express the fruit and the terroir of the vineyard in the glass. The wine shows a dusty cranberry nose with vegetal notes typical of Štajerska pinot noir, and the syrah adds a touch of black and white pepper. The mouthfeel is earthy and a bit chalky, elegance and inviting drinkability are revealed when this medium-body wine is paired with food.

In the mid-12th century French Carthusian monks settled in this northeast region of Slovenia and planted it with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines. The Podkubovšek family, starting with Vlado and his son, Marko, has always cherished and been proud of this local heritage, hence the fact that all of their wines are made in a traditional style, where the vines and the microclimate speak for themselves. All of the grapes are strictly hand-picked on steep marl-rich slopes of up to 45°, and vinified with minimal intervention in the winemaking process.

Each variety is picked and processed separately. Embracing the minimal intervention approach in the cellar, hand-harvested grapes were destemmed and spontaneously fermented in open top fermenters. 19-24 day maceration. After 12 months of aging in used French oak the wine was blended in stainless steel tanks and bottled unfiltered.