Teran is a variety best appreciated within the context of Istrian culture and cuisine: paired with pršut, goulash, jota(stew), or musetto (boiled sausage), and enjoyed in the rustic ambiance of an osmiza, amid the winter winds of the Karst. On its own, Teran can feel a bit austere. But when given the right atmosphere and culinary companion, it reveals itself with character and vitality.
Teran possesses immense energy and an incisive acidity. Its color is so dark that it was once considered a remedy for anemia in the Karst. While winemakers could tame its edges with enological interventions, such efforts would strip Teran of its authenticity and spirit.
Branko and Vasja Čotar embrace Teran’s raw character, offering an unpolished, natural expression. Their classic still Teran ferments on the skins for 10 days in open wooden vats before aging for 4 years in 1500-liter wooden barrels. It is bottled unfiltered.
Style Čotar describes their Teran as nervous and deeply typical. Aromatically, it evokes the Karst with notes of herbs, stones, berries, and the sea. Its structure is lean and wind-worn, more sinewy than muscular. Paired with hearty sausages, its nervous energy transforms into calm and balance.
Technical Data
Grape variety: Teran
Vineyard: Terra rossa, 100 meters above sea level, near the sea; 7000 vines per hectare
Harvest: By hand
Fermentation: Spontaneous | wild yeasts, 10-day skin maceration in 2000-liter open wooden vats
Aging: 48 months in 1500-liter wooden barrels
Filtration: None
SO₂: Unsulfured
Alcohol: 11.5% vol
Closure: Natural cork
Serving temperature: 16–18°C
Optimal drinking window: From now until 2035 or beyond
Bottle size: 0.75 l
Content and price per liter: €36.12/l
All Vinonudo-listed winemakers practice sustainable viticulture, using compost, organic fertilizers, and natural preparations, and avoid herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers.
