
Vavrinec
Through wine, Zsolt Sütó hopes to achieve self-awareness. A return to what he considers long forgotten values- understanding nature and oneself, the ability to accept something different, and that cheapness, comfort, and conformity are not and should not be guiding principles. Sütó strives to return to the ancient roots of winemaking; to create wines that require an open mind to enjoy. In his own words, wine “to which nothing has been added, and nothing has been taken away.” If you have preconceived notions of what a glass of wine should be, his wine will challenge them.
Strekov 1075, founded in 2002, focuses on terroir wines, expressive of the Strekov village, located in south-west Slovakia. All of the vineyard work is done by hand, and indigenous grapes of Central Europe are preferred. The wines are fermented spontaneously without any intervention, with no sulfur added, and are macerated on skins. Sütó has gone as far removing wire rods and poles from 5 ha of his 12 ha vineyard, training grapes to grow closer to the soil, believing they will express terroir more clearly with the proximity to the earth.
These wines have a lot of depth and complexity- they’re bold and unique.
Winemaker’s note: “The St.Laurent variety has Pinot Noir in its pedigree and is very sensitive to the weather. It is an early-ripening variety with thin skin and compact bunches; all these factors have an impact on the health of the grapes. Each year at the end of August, it becomes clear if the vintage is a “Rozália” or a “Vavrinec vintage”, based on the readiness of the grapes for further maturation: healthy grapes allow us to keep them on vines for longer and use them for this earthy, elegant red.”
Grape: Svätovavrinecké aka Vavrinec aka Saint Laurent
Vineyard: Vád, certified organic and farmed by Zsolti himself. Head-trained, planted in 2011. Clay-loam topsoil with a high level of calcium on marine sediments.
Making of: the grapes were handpicked. Fermented for a few weeks, no added selected yeasts or other additives, no temperature control. The free-run juice spent 10 months in old 500 l oak barrels. Bottled by gravity without fining, filtration or SO2 the following summer. Only 1200 bottles made.
Personality: showing full beauty of the variety – its elegant acidity, fruitiness and light earthy taste.
-Jenny & Francois