Truly, a scented bomb creates euphoria, such as love at first sights. It is hard to distinguish all the scents in this mixture of varieties Zweigelt, Frankovka, Pinot Nero and Cabernet Sauvignon from the vine growing position in Vetovo near Kutjevo whose name it bears, but the aroma is wonderful. And it is even more wonderful that in the next hour or two every smell of the glass and tasting of the wine offers something new, as when every new personal encounter uncovers new virtues of a man for whom the heart beats faster.
Tasting the white Venje from the same year, I concluded it produces the same effect. The vineyard is the same, also a late harvest, nurtured in barrels, with Riesling, Graševina, Pinot Gris, Traminer and Sauvignon. Its color is golden, also offering a wonderful scent from the start. Then comes a soft aroma of quince, some exotic fruit, even light ginger, ending in fine predicate notes, honey and dry flowers. The meadow appears around the glass, even when there is no meadow in sight.
The late harvest from 2006 will be on the market by mid-May, when Enjingi celebrates his 78th birthday. This was also the reason for a three-day meeting with 12 of Enjingi’s current wines, those available this year. Among them is another wine from 2006, a Pinot Nero late harvest barrique. At first it offers a wonderful scent of ripe sour cherry, with griotta following soon. Its taste is full, warm, long, maybe even sharp, nut wrapped in a savoury, but not sweet dark chocolate. The variety is recognizable, but this Pinot Nero is different than others. Already by color, between ruby and granite, more alike in body and fullness to dense Plavac wines than delicate Burgundys, another name for Pinot Nero. This is a true wine of Enjingi style stemming from his uncompromising stance towards everyone and everything around him. This primarily refers to ecology, as Enjingi proudly points out that store yeast never entered his cellar, also allowing grapes to fully ripen in the vineyard, allowing the wine to spend as much time as needed in the barrel, or as much as Enjingi feels it needs.
This is seen also in the youngest wine of this year’s package, the 2015 Graševina. It has a pronounced scent of domestic fruit such as pears and apples, while taste is full, but fresh, slowly expanding through the mouth so it is a shame to swallow right away. It deserves to be held in the mouth for a few more seconds. An excellent wine for Slavonian dried meats and the best sweet water fish. Also on sale is the late harvest Graševina form 2013 which likes meat roasts. As it is some years older, it takes more time to open up the light predicate honey feel through the scent of apple. Meats such as veal and fine fish, especially octopus under the bell, will be well combined with the Pinot Gris late harvest 2013 barrique. Just like white Venje it primarily smells of fine ripe wine, and after a few minutes in the glass fruit aromas with a drop of honey open up. This wine could be compared to Alsace style, in the best sense of the word, and the semi-dry Sauvignon late harvest 2013 barrique returns us to the unique Enjingi style. It is a pleasant, full and savoury wine offering exotic fruit in the glass, conquering slowly, without an aggressive scent often common with Sauvignons. Allowing for longer maturation in good barrels simply softens the wine, so neither the scented Traminer late harvest 2009 nor Sauvignon late harvest 2006 are not imposing, not angering the one who smells them. And they stay remembered long, just like the time taken to create them.
Translated from Vino.hr, for the original click here.
