Heaps Good Zweigelt/Modra Frankinja
Winery: Heaps Good Wine Co.
Classification: Dry red wine
Varietals: Zweigelt 55%/Modra Frankinja (aka Bläufrankisch) 45%
Appellation: Ritoznoj, Pohorje Foothills, Lower Styria (Štajerska), Slovenia
Density & Yield: 5,000 vines/ha; 2 kg/vine
Annual Production: 3,333 bottles
Alcohol: 11.70%
Climate: Continental, with dry and hot summers, and snowy winters
Terrain: Clay, with smaller amounts of sand and marl. Southern exposure, 400 meters altitude.
Farming: No irrigation. No herbicide. No cultivation. Environmentally friendly and sustainable viticulture, with respect for the land.
Vinification: Destemmed into open top fermenter. Natural pre-fermentation cold maceration at ambient temperature for 4-7 days. No added yeast. Pressed to tank after the completion of alcoholic fermentation, a total of 16-24 days on skins, racked to barrel 24 hours after pressing. Older 228 L French oak barrels used. Malolactic fermentation allowed to spontaneously start. Racked from barrels in September 2018 and bottled with minimal sulphur addition.
Tasting Notes: The 'Ritzonoj' tier of wines are the highest quality wines of Heaps Good Wine Co. and the barrel selection of all his vineyards. Nick's work excels in the cellar, perfecting the precise ferments, ageing and blends, and this is most prominent in these wines: nuanced and complex but always so vibrant and elegant. Starting with the 2022 vintage, Nick will begin dedicating his entire production to this level of production. For now, the production is very small while balancing his value-based wines.
Medium purple in color. Rustic, smoky aromas blend with bright fruit to create a complex aromatic profile. On the palate bright cassis flavors mix with black cherry, soft with velvety tannins and a tart finish.
Winery Information
Heaps Good Wine Co.
Heaps Good Wine Co. is a small family owned and operated winery producing exceptional wines from Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Blaufrankisch from the green hills around Slovenska Bistrica in the region of Stajerska in the east of Slovenia.