The basic line in the Istenič sparkling wine range.Usually demi sec or dry, it is made from laški rizling, chardonnay and rumeni plavec, and spends at least 18 months on lees.
77% Chardonnay, 22% Pinot Nero, and 1% Pinot Bianco grapes are mixed together into the perfect marriage of flavours. All of these grapes play beautifully off of one another.The youthful and persistent bubbles bring joy to the palate, which itself is full of fruit, minerals, and pastries. The freshness contained within this bottle makes Bellavista Alma Gran Cuvée Franciacorta Brut the perfect spirit to join in your next celebration. Taste the best that Franciacorta has to offer.
77% Chardonnay, 22% Pinot Nero, and 1% Pinot Bianco grapes are mixed together into the perfect marriage of flavours. All of these grapes play beautifully off of one another.The youthful and persistent bubbles bring joy to the palate, which itself is full of fruit, minerals, and pastries. The freshness contained within this bottle makes Bellavista Alma Gran Cuvée Franciacorta Brut the perfect spirit to join in your next celebration. Taste the best that Franciacorta has to offer.
Varietal composition: 72% Chardonnay, 28% Pinot NoirFull and shiny straw-yellow color. The bubbles are tiny, dense and long lasting. Expressive, gentle and complex scent, especially white flowers and spices (wormwood, laurel) can be found on th nose.Sharp, dry taste, extremely elegant with an aristocratic aftertaste with a touch of jam and incense. Strong in character, however silky smooth.
Varietal composition: 52% chardonnay, 48% pinot noirGentle pink with hints of onion leaf color. Intense and convincing scent of the foreststrawberries, citrus fruits, golden apples, rose flowers. On the palate dry, very harmonious, with a base of black currant and sweet almonds. The aftertaste is dominated by small forest fruits. Bold, silky, noble sparkling wine.
Ancestral yet contemporary, centered around an ancient production approach that is simultaneously state of the art, Nectar is a pure, natural and sensual Demi Sec. A very hard-to-come-by style, it is the fruit of a dedicated cuvée, produced exclusively from chardonnay grapes from no less than 30 different hilltop, south-facing vineyards. 30% is fermented in small white oak casks. Both for bottle fermentation and for dosage when disgorging, a sugar-rich must is used made from estate grapes left to dry on the vines.A cuvée with a white, long-lasting foam, fine bubbles and a deep straw color verging on golden with time. The bouquet is elegantly sweet: honey,astry, vanilla pods, candied citrus fruit and flowers. The mouthfeel is full and enveloping, creamy, smooth and balanced by a sweet freshness.
The true essence of the Pinot nero vineyard. The role of colour creates tone and stability, but it is also elusive, delicate and constant taste and olfactory trait od a graceful mastepiece of nature.
Varietal composition: 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot NoirYellowish-gold color with fine bubbles. It smells of pears, apples, fresh bread and honey. It is characterized by a very complex and long aftertaste.
Straw yellow, fine bubble and persistent. The aroma is clean and fruity, with a marked citrus character and a background of floral notes. It offers a magnificent presence in the mouth thanks to the Chardonnay variety showing itself dry and at the same time fruity, with a long aftertaste and a very well integrated carbonic.Awards:Gold Medal – Concours Mondial BruxellesCommended – DecanterGold Medal – Asia Wine TrophyDouble Gold Medal – WSWA Wine & Spirits Wholesalers AmericaGold Medal – The Fifty Best Wines90 Points – La Semana Vitivinícola
This wine is aged on the lees in Ayala's cellars for 6 years before disgorgement and during this time, develops incredibly complex and intense characters on both the nose and palate. Bright and luminous in colour with fine, persistent bubbles. The nose is subtle with yellow plum and white peach flavours complemented by hints of almond.
Brut Majeur perfectly represents the AYALA style. The Chardonnay, emblematic grape variety, present at 55% in this cuvée expresses all its purity and elegance.The same sheer spirit is expressed through the low dosage and the stainless-steel vat vinification, which ensures that primary aromas are respected. An extended ageing of three years in the cellars confers the final touch to this cuvée, where balance and precision coexist with finesse and elegance.
Brut Majeur perfectly represents the AYALA style. The Chardonnay reveals all of its purity and elegance, enhanced by Pinot Noirs and Meuniers, from the best origins.The same sheer spirit is expressed through the low dosage and the stainless-steel vat vinification, which ensures that primary aromas are respected. An extended ageing of three years in the cellars confers the final touch to this cuvée, where balance and precision coexist with finesse and elegance.
Brut Majeur perfectly represents the AYALA style. The Chardonnay reveals all of its purity and elegance, enhanced by Pinot Noirs and Meuniers, from the best origins.The same sheer spirit is expressed through the low dosage and the stainless-steel vat vinification, which ensures that primary aromas are respected. An extended ageing of three years in the cellars confers the final touch to this cuvée, where balance and precision coexist with finesse and elegance.
Brut Majeur perfectly represents the AYALA style. The Chardonnay reveals all of its purity and elegance, enhanced by Pinot Noirs and Meuniers, from the best origins.The same sheer spirit is expressed through the low dosage and the stainless-steel vat vinification, which ensures that primary aromas are respected. An extended ageing of three years in the cellars confers the final touch to this cuvée, where balance and precision coexist with finesse and elegance.
Without any dosage at the disgorgement, this cuvée requires constant attention, in order to express the essence. It delicately enhances the raw material, which is transformed by a unique and authentic savoir-faire.The vinification is partially made in the new stainless-steel winery, a cutting-edge technological tool, which allows to create wines of remarkable precision and purity.After nearly 4 years of ageing in the cellars, the cuvée Brut Nature unveils an elegant complexity. It bears witness to a signature autolysis, which is intentionally prolonged so as to better bring to light the exceptional quality of the grapes, originating from the best crus in Champagne.Without any artifices, the blend associates a majority of Chardonnay, then some Pinot Noir. A smaller amount of Meunier complements them with finesse, in a sheer and balanced spirit.
Rosé Majeur is primarily a sweet treat, with a subtle dosage. The delicate notes arise from the red wine, added to the blend in a small amount. This still wine is elaborated exclusively from the Pinot Noir of Aÿ, a Grand cru characterised by the legendary generosity of its fruit.The low dosage, a trademark of the House, here underlines the beautiful freshness and elegance of a great rosé blend.
Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque is the original Belle Epoque vintage cuvée, first appearing in 1964. Instantly recognisable throughout the world, its bottle is adorned with the graceful spray of Japanese white anemones created for Maison Perrier-Jouët by Art Nouveau master Emile Gallé in 190.While every vintage of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque naturally expresses the characteristics of its particular year, the personality of this iconic cuvée is clearly defined: poise, harmony and elegance combine to captivate the senses, with its bright gold colour and subtle sparkle an inviting prelude to rich nuances of white flowers and white-fleshed fruit. A long, expansive finish testifies to the rare quality of this exceptional champagne.A pale gold, clear and luminous, like an autumnal sun. Aromas of ripe, juicy pear, a hint of citrus (yellow grapefruit, lime), green pepper and ginger. A subtle salinity. A generous, lively attack and a lush, creamy texture. Floral notes of linden blossom, complemented by pear, mandarin and grapefruit zest.
Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque is the original Belle Epoque vintage cuvée, first appearing in 1964. Instantly recognisable throughout the world, its bottle is adorned with the graceful spray of Japanese white anemones created for Maison Perrier-Jouët by Art Nouveau master Emile Gallé in 190.While every vintage of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque naturally expresses the characteristics of its particular year, the personality of this iconic cuvée is clearly defined: poise, harmony and elegance combine to captivate the senses, with its bright gold colour and subtle sparkle an inviting prelude to rich nuances of white flowers and white-fleshed fruit. A long, expansive finish testifies to the rare quality of this exceptional champagne.A pale gold, clear and luminous, like an autumnal sun. Aromas of ripe, juicy pear, a hint of citrus (yellow grapefruit, lime), green pepper and ginger. A subtle salinity. A generous, lively attack and a lush, creamy texture. Floral notes of linden blossom, complemented by pear, mandarin and grapefruit zest.
True to the free spirit of Maison Perrier-Jouët, Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque Rosé is a resolutely original champagne which combines rarity with the ability to surprise. First created in 1978, it is crafted only in exceptional years and produced in extremely limited quantities.
This very fine assemblage made from Côte des Blancs grapes is amazingly full and elegant - it’s the purest expression of the Champagne region’s Chardonnay.
The copper highlights adorn the Blanc de Noirs with very subtle red fruitiness. It describes raspberry, fresh blackcurrant, and wild rosehip with a lot of elegance and definition. The heart of the mouth is rigorous, it draws an extreme dimension of stony rock with a pure and vertical freshness. The finish turns out to be defined by the red fruitiness and its typical chalky length. The olfactory notes of cream sponge desserts are confirmed and the impression of tonic maturity is attractive.Ballotine of farmhouse poultry with morels. Condiment of a blackcurrant and pink berry jam.
The Cuvée Elisabeth is the expression of the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay terroirs. It offers a unique and sensorial experience, the fruit of more than a decade of patience.APPEARANCE: Its appearance is luminous, with soft, coppery shimmers and a sustained salmon pink hue. AROMA: There is a refreshing sensorial experience of citrus peel and red berry jelly. With the exquisite sensation of a rich and complex aromatic generosity (Plougastel and Mara des Bois strawberries, pêche de vigne). Pretty, refined and mature olfactory notes that bring out the inimitable fragrances of sweet spices and wild raspberry pulp. PALATE: A measured strength which is delicate and charming at the same time, with the harmonious maturing of flavours (mandarin, blood orange, and Reinette apple tart). An ample and full character in the mouth unveiling a chalky edge and persistent finish of citron zest as well as red and white currants. TASTING: This great and highly refined wine presents its personality with wonderful delicacy of texture and flavour. The aromatic charm of a rare mineral aspect to pair with beautiful poulet de Bresse with crayfish or a few Breton langoustines royales.Serve at: 11-12°C Contains sulfites.
Before we allow ourselves to be embraced and engulfed by the prestigious sea of bubbles, let us first clarify a very important fact: champagnes are only sparkling wines from the French region of Champagne, all other sparkling wines produced elsewhere (including Slovenia) are called exclusively sparkling wines.
And sparkling wines are… for pampering. For special guests, special events, special moments. Unique romantic dinners, milestone birthdays or the celebration of a long-awaited business deal. Well, or simply for a Sunday lunch, which, with the addition of sparkling wine, becomes something more than just an ordinary meal.
And before we continue, another titbit for you: did you know that champagne was created by accident when the pressure in the bottle caused it to explode? At the time, this wine was called “devil’s wine” (le vin du diable), as the bubbles were considered a mistake. But what a wonderful mistake that was, right?
If you would like something really special...
Do you know sparkling wines produced by the pét-nat method (in French: pétillant-naturelle)? It is a method in which the must is bottled towards the end of the alcoholic fermentation, when it still contains about 15 grams of residual sugar. Such a method allows the retention of carbon dioxide (bubbles) in the bottle. So pét-nat is a natural sparkling wine that is bottled before the first fermentation is over. This allows the formation of bubbles from the natural sugars present in the grapes.
Why are pét-nats so popular? Because they do not contain sulfur. These are delicate, playful and very fruity sparkling wines that are a remarkable reflection of their terroir. A perfect example is Štoka’s sparkling wine Pet - Nat Rose. This is what we call a special sparkling wine!
Common questions
How to choose the right sparkling wine?
According to the sugar level or the concentration of reducing sugars, sparkling wines are divided into bone dry (brut nature), extra dry (extra brut), very dry (brut), dry (extra sec), semi-dry (sec), semi-sweet (demi sec) and sweet (doux). In sparkling wine – unlike traditional wine, where we also pay attention to the vintage besides the basic categories – it makes more sense to focus on the level of sugar and the variety.
And which grape varieties can be used to produce sparkling wine? Many different varieties are suitable for sparkling wine – from chardonnay to pinot noir, gris and blanc, which are the most common varieties of sparkling wine produced in Slovenia.
What to serve with sparkling wine?
Most commonly, sparkling wine is served as an aperitif or accompaniment to dessert. When we serve it as an aperitif, young, fresh and dry sparkling wines are recommended. For dessert, we have several options: from mild white sweet sparkling wines (a good choice is yellow muscat) to rich red sweet sparkling wines (refosco).
Taking into account the properties of dry sparkling wines, it is not surprising that they are often the more popular ones. They pair well with fatty, salty and fried dishes, as well as with more delicate foods, such as scampi and oysters. For complex dishes, choose sparkling wines of medium dryness, while desserts and matured cheeses can be served with a sweeter sparkling wine.
We drink sparkling wine and champagne from special glasses and we never clink glasses when toasting!
Can sparkling wine and champagne be aged (matured)?
Most sparkling wines and champagnes should be drunk within a year of coming to market. Only a few cuvées are able to acquire truly complex flavours and aromas through maturing. The best vintage champagnes and special editions can indeed mature for decades, but their price is then correspondingly higher.
How to store sparkling wine and champagne?
Wines with bubbles are more sensitive to temperature and light than still wines, but you can easily store them in a dark place at temperatures between 12 and 18 °C. For longer storage, a temperature between 9 and 11 °C is recommended.
How to chill sparkling wine and champagne?
It is best to refrigerate the bottle overnight. The ideal temperature for serving sparkling wine is from 5 to 7 °C. If you are surprised by the guests, the easiest and fastest way to chill the wine is in an ice bucket or in a container of ice water. The whole bottle needs to be cooled – even the neck!
How to open sparkling wine and champagne?
Carefully! The pressure in the bottle is at least 3.5 atmospheres (bars), so an uncontrolled cork can hurt someone. From the moment you untwist the wirehood (muselet) that protects the cork, you must not remove your hand from the cork. Hold the cork firmly and rotate the bottle when opening. When you feel the cork is about to pop out, restrain it with your hand and retain as much of the gas in the bottle as possible so that it releases only with a gentle sigh – not a bang!