2019 Milan Nestarec Umami

WINEMAKER: Milan Nestarec
REGION: Moravia, CZ
VARIETY: Traminer
VITICULTURE: Organic

Traminer, Red and Gewürz, from the Achtele vineyard. This vineyard site forms a natural amphitheatre. The upper section ripens slower than the lower section where there is less airflow. Sandy clay soils.

Aromatic opulence. The palate is luscious. Marmalade, young ginger, cumquats, green mango. Then zip! The acidity drives the back, a wine that wants food. It's a head scratcher, pretty without being pretty. The aromas are like walking into a green grocer, an array of fruit, hedonistic smells. The palate has a savoury edge, pops of spiced fruit. Musk. Powdery. Seemless. Complexity in spades with incredible length. A match made in heaven with asian cuisine or cheese.

Moravia is a historical region in central Europe that served as the centre of the kingdom of Bohemia in the 11th century. In the 20th century it became part of the modern state of Czechoslovakia and subsequently of the Czech Republic. | The Nestarec’s are in the village of Velke Bilovice, located in the southern part of Moravia, 15km north of the Austrian border. A region rich in agriculture, Moravia is noted for its viticulture, with 94% of the Czech Republic's vineyards here it is the centre of the countries wine region. Milan’s path began with the family vineyards in 2008, but it was to take until 2015 that Milan’s style was to become noticed, and the business would grow.

Nestarec now have 30 hectares under vine, spread across 13 sites. The wide selection of varieties includes Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Müller Thurgau, Pálava (Muller Thurgau x Roter Traminer), Dornfelder, Regent, Pinot Noir, Blaufränkisch, Neuburger and Welschriesling.

A curious thinker, Milan isn’t afraid to experiment. He recognises that the wines at the beginning of his journey are very different to those he makes now. In his twenties he liked to push boundaries, now mid 30 he makes wines in the style that suits the fruit and the vineyard. Wines he wants to drink. Ultimately, the wine must speak for itself.