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KK Ptuj p.o. Vinarstvo Slovenske gorice - Haloze Trstenjakova 6 2250 Ptuj phone: +386 62 772-821 fax: +386 62 773-201 |
The Ptuj cellar, managed by the eminent Slovene oenologist Anton Skaza, is the oldest in Slovenia. Its most venerable part is the 400-year-old vaulted cellar of the former Minorite monastery. This is where the oldest Slovene wines are stored, including the 1917 "Zlata trta" (Zierfandler) which survived World War II in the walled-off section of Jozef Ornik's wine cellar. If you ever visit KK Ptuj - Haloze, you will probably not get a chance to sample from the oldest bottles of the archive, but you will always be able to taste a number of excellent wines.
KK Ptuj cultivates five hundred hectares (1235 acres) in two viticultural areas, Haloze and Srednje Slovenske Gorice. Grapes are also purchased from private growers who work a further one thousand hectares (2471 acres). The traditional white wines of Podravje dominate: Laski Rizling is the most frequent, followed by Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Renski Rizling, and Rumeni Muskat. The proportion of red wines is minimal, though good Modri Pinot is grown in vineyards of Srednje Slovenske Gorice; Modra Frankinja, which was very popular in the area, has all but disappeared.
KK Ptuj produces 24,000 hectoliters (634,000 gallons) of wines annually, and its winegrowing is predominantly traditional using oak barrels. Half of winery's production is Halozan, a blended quality wine made from Laski Rizling, Sipon, Beli Pinot, Sauvignon, Rizvanec, and Renski Rizling. Halozan is a complex wine, semi-dry, quite rich in acids, and aromatic.
The winery's specialties are varietal wines from specific sites. Its Renski Rizling comes from Veliki Vrh, one of the best sites in Slovenia for this demanding vine; the wine is rich in acids, fragrant, and should be aged to develop its noble qualities. The cellar's special Traminec is grown on Majski Vrh, and its Beli Pinot comes from Turski Vrh. KK Ptuj - Haloze is noted for its production of late harvest wines, suhi jagodni izbor, and Ice Wines; these are mostly made from Laski Rizling and Renski Rizling.
A good vintage Modri Pinot from Srednje Slovenske Gorice is excellent. In bad years, the pigmentation of the grapes is somewhat weak, requiring protracted maceration to achieve the appropriate colour of wine; this makes the taste of tannin somewhat strong in the young wine, which should be aged to mellow the flavour.
KK Ptuj - Haloze has won a large number of medals and awards at wine fairs in Slovenia and abroad. Their most outstanding vintages are 1971, 1883, and 1993; also very good are their 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, and 1992 vintages.
