Dario Prinčič Bianco Trebež 2020

Same delicious wine - bold and direct, never flat, real depth under the richness. Buckwheat honey emerging this time, layered with the ripe peach, apricot jam, and dried mango from before; herbal dryness still keeping it out of fruit-bomb territory. Density and viscosity properly there now - palate-coating, the kind of texture that can only come from extended skin contact - but somehow still fresh, with the high acidity holding everything together. Bright and intense in a way that'll either charm you or push you away. Long, perfumed finish. A wine with serious presence.

Dario Prinčič's Trebež is a single-vineyard cuvée from a parcel in Oslavia (Collio, Friuli) co-planted to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. The three varieties grow together but are vinified separately and assembled afterwards - a single-vineyard blend rather than a true co-fermented field blend.

Vines around 35 years old on marl and sandstone (ponca). Vinification follows the Oslavia pattern, with maceration length varying by variety: roughly 5-8 days for the Pinot Grigio and 15-27 days for the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, depending on vintage. Each variety in open wooden vats with indigenous yeasts; the lots are then assembled. Long élevage in old/used oak (including French barriques): sources cite anywhere from 20 months to ~3.5 years before bottling, with one importer reporting around 42 months specifically for the 2020. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, with no added SO2 - the strictest end of Prinčič's already low-intervention protocol.

2020 in Collio was a year of contrasts: a warm, dry start, then unusually rainy May-July with cooler-than-average temperatures (reportedly the wettest May since 1973 in the area). Modest yields, with whites generally considered solid - though not on the level of the celebrated 2021.

Bold and direct, but not flat - there's real depth under that richness. Opens beautifully in the glass: ripe peach, apricot jam, dried mango, and a touch of herbal dryness that keeps it from going full-on fruit bomb. Still very young, with high acidity and grippy tannins that announce themselves clearly. It's bright and intense in a way that'll either charm you or push you away - no middle ground here. Long, perfumed finish that lingers beautifully. A wine with serious presence. The kind of orange wine that makes converts of sceptics.

Bold and direct, but not flat - there's depth under that richness. It opens up beautifully in the glass, showing ripe peach, apricot jam, dried mango, and a touch of herbal dryness. Still very young, with high acidity and grippy tannins, it's bright and intense in a way that'll either charm you or push you away. Long, perfumed finish. A wine with presence.

There's something truly beautiful about Prinčič's style, characterized by its directness, richness, and rustic charm. This wine exemplifies one of the best handlings of VA I've encountered---despite its prominent presence, it is seamlessly integrated and supported by good fruit and great structure. Aromas of peach, apricot jam, dried herbs, and dried mango create an inviting profile. It's super young, with high acidity and tannins, delivering an intense, bright style that's effortlessly polarizing---easy to both love and hate.

Bianco Trebež

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