Burja "Bela" Vipava Valley 2020

Winemaker Primož Lavrenčič founded Burja Estate in 2009 after inheriting some old family vineyards. The winery lies roughly 25 minutes east of Slavček in the Vipava Valley, where vines have been cultivated since at least Celtic times. The area also has a rich history of skin-contact whites, with references to the “old Vipava” method of week-long macerations mentioned in “Winemaking for Slovenians,” an 1844 guide written by local priest Matija Vertovec. That tradition is on full display in Lavrenčič’s “Bela” cuvee, which sees five days of maceration before fermentation in concrete eggs and old foudre. A blend of Malvazija, Welschriesling, Rebula, and Vipavec harvested from the estate’s top three sites, it’s an exciting and full-bodied white with notes of wisteria, lavender, orange zest and rich, ripe peach. With its chalky core, salty finish, and aromas of vanilla pods, this is a complex wine that would be delicious alongside rich pastas or a loaded charcuterie board with cave-aged chee