UK’s only on-trade wine competition – the Sommelier Wine Awards

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Winner Details

SLOVENIA

2019 GOLD: 4 SILVER: 2 BRONZE: 1 COMMENDED: 4
2018 GOLD: 1 SILVER: 2 BRONZE: 1 COMMENDED: 1

We’ve had a few stray Slovenian wines entered into the Sommelier Wine Awards in the past, and they’ve tended to do pretty well for the most part. So it was good to see a stronger entry here this year – and no surprise that it resulted in a record haul of medals.

There is, clearly, a uniquely wonderful terroir for white wine in this corner of Europe. Grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, which often garner indifferent reviews from our tasters, are here showered with praise. Add in a couple of less common grape varieties and you end up with a stimulating range of whites with freshness, uniqueness and, crucially, personality.

The pricing was terrific, too – there aren’t many categories that attracted such positive feedback from the judges for wines that were nearly all under £12 – though Puklavec’s slightly pricey late harvest Pinot Blanc was proof that this area isn’t all about trawling around in the bargain basement.

And if you think that Klet Brda’s red Gold was a fluke, think again. It got one last year, too.

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘A really fascinating flight. The wines were quite varied, with the lightly spritzed, fresh style, some really aromatic wines and some richer styles. They were surprisingly inexpensive too. They’re perfect. A lot of them made you just want to be on a patio, or on the beach. Very quaffable.’ Andres Ituarte, team leader

‘They were very good wines. It’s something people like – they’re very crisp and fresh, and good quality at all price ranges. Of course, you’d need to push these wines, or no one would ask you for them, but a lot of people want to try something new. They’re perfect for that, at the right prices. You need to serve these by the glass, not by the bottle, so that people can taste them.’ Janusz Sasiadek, Bottles & Battles

Award winners

Found 11 wines

Slovenia

Klet Brda, Križno, Sauvignon Blanc/Rebula 2018, Primorska, Slovenia

This ‘great value, and great by-the-glass’ Slovenian white took Gold with its ‘lovely exotic fruits, peach and apricot, with an intense palate and a touch of minerality’, according to Janusz Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles, while team leader Andres Ituarte found it ‘light and floral, with some pear skin, and a bit of spritz’, declaring it ‘super-fresh’. Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn agreed, describing it as ‘bright, with tropical pineapple and passion fruit, with some pastry notes, too’.

£6.67 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Klet Brda, Quercus, Cabernet/Merlot 2017, Primorska, Slovenia

This great-value Slovenian red took Gold for its ‘light, perfumed style, with bramble fruit and hawthorn, leading to a juicy palate of crunchy red berries and firm oak tannins’, said team leader Angela Reddin, while Gymkhana Restaurant’s Valentin Radosav found some additional complexity from ‘delicate coffee bean notes, and an earthiness’. Bianca Potenza of Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam, meanwhile, enjoyed ‘lively strawberry fruit’, adding that this was ‘a good match for duck’.

£7.40 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Puklavec Family, Seven Numbers, Furmint 2016, Podravje, Slovenia

As this Furmint took home a well-deserved Gold, tasters described an intriguing wine with ‘a richly intense nose of mature fruits, honey and white flowers’, according to Janusz Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles, who found it ‘well balanced with lovely acidity and minerality’. Team leader Andres Ituarte, meanwhile, enjoyed notes of ‘oolong tea and jasmine, as well as green apple and bruised peach, with enormous length of stone fruit and white tea’.

£12.00 Wood Winters

Puklavec Family, Puklavec, Pinot Blanc 1971, Podravje, Slovenia

‘Very special. A beautiful wine,’ began Corina Stanila of La Dame de Pic at Ten Trinity Square as this Slovenian Pinot Blanc was awarded a Critics’ Choice award to go with its Gold medal. Michael Fiducia of The Royal Automobile Club described an ‘unctuous nose of quince, pear and caramelised puff pastry, and a palate that explodes with layer upon layer of mango, iced tea and more, and with superb length’, while team leader Andres Ituarte found it ‘super-interesting, with apricot pie, cinnamon, clove and herbaceous menthol’.

£82.32 Puklavec Family Wines d.o.o.

Puklavec Family, Estate Selection, Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Podravje, Slovenia

‘On the nose I find it grapey, with some lemon and lime notes. Very fresh, perfect for summer,’ said team leader Andres Ituarte. Meanwhile Corina Stanila of La Dame de Pic at Ten Trinity Square described it as ‘very elegant, with white flowers, lime and lemon zest, and jasmine. On the palate it shows flavours of peach, pear and citrus fruit and has a beautiful long finish.’

£10.62 Bibendum

Puklavec Family, Seven Numbers, Pinot Grigio 2017, Podravje, Slovenia

Michael Fiducia of the The Royal Automobile Club found the wine ‘deeply coloured, showing signs of volcanic minerality and skin contact’. He said it was ‘lovely and fresh on the palate, with gorgeous texture and nice stone fruit flavours’, while team leader Andres Ituarte thought it had ‘good body and warm structure, showing peach skin, orange rind and good acidity’.

£11.75 Wood Winters

Klet Brda, Quercus, Pinot Bianco 2018, Primorska, Slovenia

‘The nose shows fresh herbs and white flowers,’ said Janusz Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles. ‘On the palate there’s a vibrant, herbaceous character and an amazing minerality. It’s refreshing, perfect to go with salads. The ideal summer wine.’

£7.20 Berkmann Wine Cellars