Čotar: Masterpieces of Sparkling Wine Production
Among the many talents of Branko and Vasja Čotar is their skill in crafting exceptional sparkling wines. They follow a unique path in this endeavor, placing great emphasis on the quality of their base wine, which is made exclusively from flawless Malvazija and Vitovska grapes, harvested by hand in minimal quantities (32 hl/ha) at perfect ripeness.
The grapes are fermented in open wooden vats, with the fermenting wine remaining in contact with the skins for at least seven days. After pressing and completing fermentation, the wine is aged for three years in used wooden barrels. Without fining, filtering, or adding sulfur, the Čotars bottle the Bela base wine for secondary fermentation. This is initiated by the addition of sweet must. After a few months of bottle aging, the wine is released without disgorging and with no rush, allowing it to mature at its own pace.
Style & Aromas
Orange, foliage, herbs – a radiant, warm bouquet. This is not a calm river but a mountain stream defined by rapids. The sparkling wine possesses body, depth, and substance, skillfully combined with vitality and dynamism. Long and impressive – a truly great sparkling wine.
Technical Sheet
- Grape Varieties: Vitovska/Malvazija
- Vineyard: Terra rossa on limestone
- Harvest: By hand
- Fermentation: Spontaneous, with wild yeasts; 7-day skin maceration in large open wooden vats; secondary fermentation in the bottle after 30 months of barrel aging.
- Aging: 30 months in 1,500-liter wooden barrels; secondary fermentation in the bottle
- Filtration: None
- SO₂: Unsulfured
- Alcohol Content: 12% vol
- Closure: Natural cork
- Serving Temperature: 8–10 °C (46–50 °F)
- Optimal Drinking Window: Now–2030
- Content and Price per Liter: 0.75 l (€41/l)
All winemakers listed at Vinonudo work in their vineyards using compost, organic fertilizers, and natural preparations, entirely avoiding the use of herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers.
