While I am writing an article about amphora wines, I remember the Gravner Breg 2003 Anfora from the magnum bottle we had some time ago. Josko Gravner from Olsavia, not far from the town of Gorizia on the Italian/Slovenian border, is one of the classics of the orange wine scene.
Particularly the older vintages are fabulous. Wines auch as the 2003 Breg have inspired many winemakers to get involved with amphorae and skin contact winemaking. Gravner left his blend from Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling Italico on the skins in clay amphorae for more than seven months and then let it mature further in barrels. Unfortunately, the vintage 2003 was not an easy year for him, as a hailstorm in the summer destroyed a large part of the harvest.
The result is still intriguing: copper colour in the glass—candied orange, rosehip, dried leaves, apple peel, turmeric, saffron and nutmeg. On the palate, there is a fresh acidity and grippy tannins that integrate the substantial alcohol well.
