23 May 2016

Hipster Wines # 1: Strekov 1075 Porta

What is a hipster wine you may wonder? Again one more wine term lacking official definition, like natural wine or minerality (Oh yes). People may consider it as a synonym of natural, raw or authentic wines but I find this category broader including wines from obscure varietes along wines fermented in amphoras, somms favourite picks etc.

In this first ''hipster wine'' blog post, I chose to start with an orange, natural wine that elevates ''hipstery'' by being a blend of two vintages, 2011 and 2012.

Strekov 1075 who is the producer from Slovakia owns 12 hectares of biologically protected vineyards. His production method includes native yeasts, no enzymes and very low use of SO2. Porta is a blend of two varieties (Welschriesling and Gruner Veltliner) macerated on the skins. It is a product of two vintages as well, while Porta #2 (later release) comes from four vintages and four varieties.

Dusty orange with a complex nutty nose with dried fruit like apricots, orange zest and bergamot along some chamomile hints perhaps. Funky as well but should not be a problem for most consumers. Lovely texture on the palate, vivacious with real tension and light tannins on the finish. Great food partner with risotto and roast chicken. 92/100