No reviews as yet, see below for reviews of the previous 2015 vintage:

96 points - "Gorgeous aromas of persimmons and spices as nutmeg, cinnamon, orange peel, and hints of caramel. Honey and apricot. Full-bodied, dry and layered with dried fruits such as apricots and pears. Botrytis spice. Fine silky phenolic texture and a flavorful finish. Layered and fascinating. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees centigrade. Drink or hold." - James Suckling

Importer's Notes:

A history lesson

Josko Gravner’s 18 hectares of vineyards (with another 4 recently planted) are located in Oslavje, in the Collio hills on the border of Italy and Slovenia. Over the course of his 64 years, Josko has constantly evolved his approach to winemaking - in both his method and philosophical approach - in the search of perfection.

In the 1980’s Josko created the wines that catapulted Friuli to international commercial success, with his clear, floral pinot grigio and aromatic white wines. He then contributed to the recognition of the Collio zone producing wines of intensity and complexity through careful aging in the finest Slavonian oak.

However, Josko saw that the drive to produce clear, aromatic white wines was leading to increased chemical intervention at the expense of terroir. What started from an epiphany in 1987 during a US research trip soon led him to become engrossed in the ancient winemaking of the Caucasus, culminating with the purchase of his first amphora from Georgia in the late 1990’s, after many failed attempts.

Philosophy

Since producing his first vintage fermented exclusively in clay amphorae in 2001, Josko now has 45 beeswax-lined amphorae in his cellar ranging from 1,500-2,500 litres in size, in which he ferments all his wines. The amphorae are buried neck deep beneath the soil, allowing the fermenting grape juice to have the closest possible contact with the soil from which it came.

Though he refuses categorisation as biodynamic, Gravner follows Rudolf Steiner’s principles in both the vineyard and the cellar, adjusted to his own methods. Vineyards are managed without fertilisers or chemicals. Fruit is hand harvested by the moon after late ripening and undergoes a 7 year cycle of fermentation and aging: 1 year in amphora and 6 in oak, reflecting the regeneration pattern of cells in our bodies. Bottling is done in accordance with the lunar cycle, a step Josko regards as imperative for wines which are unfiltered. In the entire process the only addition is a small amount of sulphur used in the amphorae (around 0.5 g/hectoliter). The wines are released when Josko believes they are ready to drink.

These wines are made from Ribolla grapes which have been cultivated in this area for more than a thousand years. While fermenting in Georgian amphorae buried underground, they underwent a long maceration with wild yeasts and no temperature control. After the drawing off and pressing phases the wine was poured back into amphorae for at least five more months before it started ageing in large oak barrels, where it was left for six years. Wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

World-renowned for being the first established winemaker in Italy to convert to the use of clay amphorae, and largely credited for the explosion of interest in ‘orange’ - or as he describes them, ‘amber’ wines - Josko Gravner is a convicted winemaker who has incidentally inspired a generation of winemakers, both in Italy and beyond.

The vintage

Due to overall mild temperatures, in autumn grapes developed noble rot. The harvest ended in the Hum on 28 October. Made from Ribolla grapes. While fermenting in Georgian amphorae buried underground, it underwent a long maceration with wild yeasts and no temperature control. After the drawing off and pressing phases the wine was poured back into amphorae for at least five more months before it started ageing in large oak barrels, where it was left for six years. Wine is bottled without fining or filtration.