Moravia Makes Wine : Recap II
Brno city
I must admit, having this opportunity to explore and learn about the wine world of Moravia has been phenomenal. Truth be told, this is a tiny wine region in Central Europe, yet is one that offers the consumer a vast range of premium and quality options, each crafted to reflect their own unique style and their own flavor profile. Additionally, the history of the area is incredibly rich, and vintners are fully aware of their responsibility to preserve this lengthy history. Although records show vines dating back to the 14th century, the modern winemaking industry is roughly thirty years old, as the end of Communism brought with it a Moravian wine revolution.
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to host my series, ‘Moravia Makes Wine,’ as I feel it is vital for the consumers to understand the history of the region, in order to better appreciate the wines.
If you were not able to catch my live interviews, here is a recap of who I spoke with and what I tasted. I am truly honored to have these winemakers and wine professionals trust me to share their stories, and I am on a mission to share these wines with the world.
I remember the first time I tasted a wine from Tanzberg Mikulov. It was in April 2019, and my husband and I had travelled down to the village of Mikulov for the day. A friend had recommended a visit to the hotel’s wine cellar at Boutique Hotel Tanzberg, an historic hotel owned by the winery, but located in the heart of the old Jewish quarter, opposite the synagogue. From the first sip of their Oranžové Riesling in their cellar, Degustační Sklep Mikulov, I was blown away by the complex, perfumed aromatics of honey, apricot, and spice, accompanied by the structural nuances that I found in the wine, and I knew then and there that I had to learn more.
A few months later, I was invited to be a judge for the Grand Prix Austerlitz Wine Competition in Brno, held by Moravská Banka Vín at the Hlinky Palace. Seated next to me was Michaela Lasotová, the sommelier at Tanzberg. It was fate. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to visit their winery in Mikulov, and have become an enthusiastic fan of their wines.
I knew immediately when planning my series that I wanted Michaela to take part, as she is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about Tanzberg’s wines and winery operations.
Before I continue, I must include a bit of history to catch everyone up to speed. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, up until the start of World War I, there was a large German, Jewish population in the town of Mikulov, where the villagers worked in small trades and crafts. Although the population numbers wavered over time, the small Jewish community continued to thrive in the region, building their own autonomous community with the freedom to practice their religion. Up until 1945, Germans comprised 95% of the population, with the Jews making up the minority of the population.
After World War II, the Jewish population was decimated. Due to the fact that they were of German descent, they were ultimately forced to leave the country and abandon their community. Unfortunately, Jews did not return to Mikulov, thus also leaving behind their trade and vineyard practices. According to Mikulov’s town website, out of 317 homes, only 90 survived after World War II, while the others were inevitably destroyed. Those surviving homes are currently protected by Mikulov, listed as historic, cultural monuments.
Hotel Tanzberg, a midsize winery with some of the top vineyard sites in Mikulov, pays homage to this historic Jewish culture that once thrived in the village. They have named some of their wines, like Maharal, after historic Jewish figures of the past and include the original German names of the vineyard sites on the bottles. By doing so, they are maintaining the heritage of the original Germanic settlers of the region. Their wines are classically styled, balanced and structured, and show a finesse that comes with expert winemaking and meticulous viticultural practices.
For my interview with Michaela, I knew that I wanted to show the contrasting traits of their Welschriesling, by examining two from separate vineyard plots. In my opinion, Tanzberg’s terroir plays a massive role in shaping each of their wines, offering a varying range of fruit, minerality, acidity, and balance in each bottle. Those slight microclimatic variations may not seem that apparent to the naked eye when strolling through the vineyards, but in sampling each bottle, I can assure you that terroir and vineyard management do play a significant role. In addition to the wines we tasted during our chat, I must not neglect to mention their Chardonnay and their Vintage, Blanc de blancs Brut sparkling wine. They will knock your socks off.
Interested in ordering? Check out their website or head over to Vinotéka U Tří Knížat, Moravská Banka Vín, or Vinotéka Rock Wine, all located in Brno’s city center.
What I Tasted
Ryzlink Vlašský ‘Goldhamer’ Pozdní Sběr 2017
Tanzberg’s Welschriesling ‘Goldhamer’ is planted on a small vineyard plot of the same name, located in Perná, Mikulov. The Goldhamer vineyard site is famously known for its enviable microclimate, and incredibly rich limestone bedrock. The wine sits at about 13.5% alcohol, but maintains a freshness and liveliness on the nose. Well defined aromas of fresh wildflowers, lemon, yellow apple, and walnut are integrated and thirst quenching, while the wine shows pronounced intensity and excellent length. This is a charming, varietally driven wine that can easily pair up with a spinach quiche or light pasta with seafood, which would magnify the exceptional salinity on the finish.
Ryzlink Vlašský ‘Železná’ Pozdní Sběr 2017
I love to show contrast, particularly when it comes to identical grape varieties from the same vintage, yet grown on two separate vineyard plots. Tanzberg’s Železná Welschriesling was an entirely different take on the grape, showing distinctive notes of spice and perfumed flowers, followed by hints of cardamom, beeswax, and jasmine. Contrasting with the Goldhamer Welschriesling, the Železná was much more aromatic and concentrated, with richly developed tones of lemon preserves, balanced by juicy acidity and flavors of yellow pear, yellow grapefruit, and honeyed nectar. The wine also maintained an extraordinary salinity on the finish, and can easily hold up to a traditional Moravian cabbage soup with roast pork.
‘Maharal’ 2016 Pozdní Sběr : Turold, Unfiltered
For all of you out there who don’t think that Moravia can produce a robust style of red wine, look no further than Tanzberg’s Maharal. Named after a prominent Talmud scholar from the past, the ‘Maharal’ wine is a Bordeaux-style blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. The wine is matured in old oak barrels, imparting the much needed structure, balance, and tannin needed to enhance the composition of the wine.
The Tanzberg Maharal cuvée displays a lovely nose of red currant, cranberry, and raspberry, with hints of cocoa and black pepper. With a lengthy intensity and fine grained tannins on the palate, the wine offers concentrated black fruited notes, including black cherry and black plum. Plump and full bodied, the Maharal has a gorgeous finish and can easily be paired up with a traditional Jewish cholent with braised beef and beans, or a simple steak off the grill. But if you can be patient with this one, it has major ageing potential and can easily be cellared for the next 5-7 years.
The Nepraš family has been making wine since the late 1980’s in Pavlov, Mikulov. Their vineyards lie on varying vineyard plots at the foothills of the Pálava Protected Landscape, known for its slightly warmer days and limestone bedrock. I am no stranger to the winery, having written about them in previous blog posts about Pavlov.
The winery is led by Radomír Nepraš, a pioneer in the Moravian wine industry, and an individual whose influence is considered all encompassing in the wine community. Although he began his career as a restoration architect, his true calling was wine, and since his early days, Mr. Nepraš has been responsible for the creation of the National Wine Salon in Valtice, the Aliance V8 Mikulov, the Grand Prix VINEX Wine Competition, and countless other wine education programs that are intended to bolster the Moravian wine industry. Along with his wife Ludmila Nepraš Veselá and stepson Ondřej Veselý, who is now the chief oenologist and winemaker, the family unit is a tight one, crafting organic, mineral driven wines that reflect their passion for both wine and tradition.
The Nepraš Winery was founded in 2012, after Radomír Nepraš left Reisten Winery, as his driving motivation was to create a small family winery where he could have the freedom to continue and share his winemaking passion with his family. In 2013, they planted their first vineyards and by 2015, were producing their first vintages with their own estate grown fruit. They produce approximately 35,000 bottles a year, fashioning their wines to reflect each vintage’s own particularities. Varieties under vine include Welschriesling, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Similar to Tanzberg Mikulov, the Nepraš family believes in incorporating the original German names of the vineyard sites on each bottle, to respect and pay homage to those who came before them. During our conversation, they noted that they feel this obligation and motivation to continue on with traditional winemaking, using minimal intervention practices, careful vineyard management, and large, old oak casks to enhance the varied nuances in each wine. I recently had a chance to visit their cellar, and can say that the family pays meticulous attention to the wines they craft and the vines on their property, ensuring that each bottle reflects the dedication to the land of Pálava.
Interested in ordering? Check out their website or head over to Klára-Bára Vínobar or Moravská Banka Vín, all located in Brno’s city center. If you order on their e-shop, they are offering a 5+1 sale until the end of April, so 1 bottle free for 5 bottles purchased.
What I Tasted
Nepraš Maidenstein Ryzlink Vlašský ‘Spodenberg’ 2018
The Nepraš Welschriesling hails from the Spodenberg vineyard plot, known in Czech as Pod Pálavou, and is a clean, vibrant reflection of Welschriesling. This particular wine shows youthful aromas of melon, apple, and yellow grapefruit, while the palate develops more of the yellow fruit profile, such as quince and yellow pear, offset by hints of spice. During vinification, the wine is matured in large, old oak casks, allowing only the tiniest bit of oxygen to help develop and expand the flavor profile and stability of the wine.
By incorporating this judicious amount of oak during maturation, the Nepraš family does not have to add huge amounts of sulphur or fining agents, as the wine is able to develop slowly, on its own terms. Although 2018 was a fairly warm vintage, the heat did help to develop the phenolics and sugar levels of the Welschriesling grape, allowing for excellent fruit upon harvest. The medium intensity of their wine incorporates a lovely, succinct acidity and would be the perfect pairing to grilled vegetables or mushroom polenta.
Nepraš Maidenstein Ryzlink Rýnský ‘Altenberg’ 2018 ‘7’
Ryzlink Rýnský certainly has found its home in Pálava. Nepraš fully understands the power of Riesling, and in 2013, planted three different clones that they had purchased from Geisenheim, Germany. After the vineyards were planted and they were able to produce wine from their first crop, they discovered these clones showed slightly varied characteristics, and ultimately decided to craft three different styles of Riesling. Each style is dependent on the sugar levels upon harvest, gradually increasing the riper, fruity notes both on the nose and the palate.
During our chat, we focused on the ‘7’ Riesling, which had used the ‘198-25 GM’ clone, a specific clone of Riesling developed at the Geisenheim Institute. Knowing that the Czech market prefers wines with slight amounts of residual sugar, particularly when it comes to Riesling, the Nepraš family decided to harvest their Riesling a bit later in the season, allowing for slightly higher sugar levels to develop in the grapes. Their Riesling is thus aptly named ‘7,’ as it refers to the amount of residual sugar in the wine. In addition to the ‘7’ Riesling, the Nepraš winery produces a ‘3’ and a ‘5’ Riesling, referring to the 3 grams and 5 grams of residual sugar in each bottle, respectively.
Their Riesling ‘7’ displays juicy aromas of ripe summer apricot, nectarine and zesty lime that are accented by hints of honeysuckle and candied lemon. Yet underlying that fruity character is an incredibly intense saline note, refocusing the attention on the wine’s powerful minerality. An absolutely delicious, thirst quenching Riesling that would be the ideal pairing for roast chicken and dumplings.
Gravettien Rosé 2018 ‘Ober Hertalzberge’ : With only 2,000 bottles produced each year, the Gravettien Rose from Vinařství Nepraš is a cuvee of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Zweigeltrebe. And I’m not the only one to love it.. In 2015, their Gravettien Rose won best rose of the world at Prague Wine Trophy, a well deserved accolade for the Nepraš Winery. This is the only rosé they produce, and the result is absolutely delicious.
For this rosé, the grapes are hand harvested, and the wine is then fermented and matured in large oak barrels, allowing a slight micro-oxygenation during the vinification process. Most rosés in the market are fermented and vinified in stainless steel, but the Nepraš family firmly believes in the power of oak fermentation and maturation.
The watermelon color of the wine is deceiving, as the wine is truly bone dry, with a powerful bouquet of black plum, black cassis and black currant. Thanks to this maturation in large oak barrel, the wine develops a richly textured body, with additional flavors of blackberry and black cherry. Bottled under screw cap, the Gravettien rose is sensational, and would be an ideal pairing for grilled kibbeh and middle eastern spreads, or a simple pan seared salmon with roasted eggplant.
I first met Josef Valihrach during the VINEX wine competition in April 2019. He was both friendly and gracious, yet I had no idea at that time as to the extent of his family’s winery. Originally started by his father in 1990, Vinařství Josef Valihrach was one of the first to produce wines after the Velvet Revolution. For over thirty years, their wines strike a fine balance between tradition and experimentation.
By incorporating both hybrid and local, indigenous grape varieties that are able to reflect the terroir, the winery’s motivation is to maintain the integrity of each grape’s varietal character. Today, the winery manages over 20 hectares of land, with each family member playing a key role in the development of their winery. Additionally, Vinařství Josef Valihrach is one of the only wineries that I know of in the region who plant Cabernet Blanc, Carmenère, and Lena, amongst other distinctive grapes, offering the consumer an exciting range of wines that reflect their innovation and enterprise.
The winery and vineyards are found in Krumvíř, a small village located in the Modré Hory of Velké Pavlovice, one of the four subregions of South Moravia. Crafting an extensive range of both white and red grape cultivars, they produce something for everyone, from sparkling wines, to lusciously sweet ice wines, to age worthy reds. The winery is family run, and since their inception, through hard work both in the vineyards and the cellar, the winery has enjoyed massive success.
Josef Valihrach Sr. has been awarded the three-time title of Winemaker of the Czech Republic, as well as garnering top awards from competitions here in the Czech Republic, Burgundy, France, and even in the United States, in both Texas and the Finger Lakes in New York State. These prestigious, internationally recognized awards have cemented their exceptional status in South Moravia, . Each wine represents a small facet of their land and their family’s dedication to their vines, and Josef’s humble and kind demeanor are a true asset to the family’s success.
Interested in ordering? Check out their website for their entire range of wines, or head to Moravská Banka Vín on Dominkanské Naměstí in Brno’s city center.
What I Tasted
Cabernet Blanc 2018 : This was my first time ever trying a Cabernet Blanc, and I was truly astonished by its varietal character. Josef Valihrach Winery has just over a hectare of land dedicated to this wildly unfamiliar grape, yet is able to create something so unique and appealing that had me going back for more.
The grape itself is a crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and an unknown second parent, having been developed in Switzerland in the late 1990s. Although extremely rare in the wine world, it is the most planted white grape cultivar in the Pfalz Region of Germany, with over 7 hectares under vine in the Palatinate region. The grape itself offers significant resistance to fungal disease and frost, with large berries shaped into loosely bunched clusters. Josef believes that this is one of the grape varieties of the future, offering winemakers the option to use less herbicides in the vineyard, due to the grape’s natural resistance to unpredictable weather and disease.
The wine has a fascinating bouquet, with aromas of elderflower, black currant and gooseberry, while the palate is fairly plump and juicy, balanced by medium acidity and slight herbal notes on the finish. This is a truly unique wine, and a rare find in the wine world, and would be the ideal pairing to mild cheeses and light pasta salads.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Red Cuvée 2007 : So far, this is the oldest bottle of wine that I have tried thus far in Brno, and I am so glad it came from Vinařství Josef Valihrach. The winery prides themselves on the ageing potential of their red wines, and with good reason. This particular red cuvée is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, an homage to the prestigious red blends of Bordeaux, France. Although the wine is labeled as per the Geographical Indication, Moravské Zemské Víno (Moravian Land Wine), do not be fooled, this is some serious wine! The labeling only signifies the fact that the grape registry here in the Czech Republic did not include these grapes into Czech Law at that time.
The wine itself saw between 5-7 years of maturation in old oak barrel, having been bottled only 3-4 years ago. The color still maintains a youthful ruby core, while aromas of licorice, cassis, red currant, cocoa, and spice are integrated and delicate. The wine maintains a lovely acidity, with a medium concentration, and can certainly be aged for the next 7-10 years. This is the wine you want to pair with a pepper rubbed steak or lamb chop off the grill. A fantastic ode to Bordeaux, and one that I will be sure to enjoy again.
‘Lena’ 2018 - Lena is the best selling wine at Vinařství Josef Valihrach, as it is juicy, inviting, and approachable, crafted in a semi-sweet style and balanced by pleasant acidity. Originally developed in Moravia by Professor Michlovský, Lena is a crossed grape variety, engineered from parent grapes Irsai Olivér and Hárslevelű (Lipovina).
The resulting grape shows the best of both its parent varieties, with a perfumed nose of tropical fruit like papaya and guava, matched with a plump palate of ripe peaches and candied citrus. This is the only wine that the winery produces with an intention to show the enhanced primary, fruity aromas, and is thus vinified and matured in stainless steel. Their ‘Lena’ wine has approximately 23 grams of residual sugar, yet as it is accompanied by 6 grams of acidity, the wine maintains a zesty appeal to those seeking something with a touch more sweetness. This is the perfect wine to pair with a spicy pad Thai or palak paneer with freshly baked naan.
