Dora Erzelj: A Slovenian Family Estate
The Turk family has been farming the hills of Erzelj since 1836. Our 2 hectare family estate falls between the western hills of the Vipava Valley and the eastern hills of Karst. Our vineyards grow on steep slopes while our soils are made of carbonate and sedimantary rocks » flysch «, with small amounts of iron rich red soils. The vineyards are planted at an altitude of 300 meters (984 feet) and we focus on the traditional varieties of the Vipava Valley (Pinela, Malvazija, Rebula, and Barbera).
White wines are macerated with light to moderate skin contact time and are aged 6 months in stainless steel tanks. Battonage (mixing of fine lees) occurs during maturation and is done manually to ensure greater structure and natural wine stability. Our traditional red blend (Rdeči Rosel) of Merlot and Barbera sees a 6-10 day skin contact time and matures for one year in big barrel Slavonian oak. Battonage is done manually to ensure propper tannin, color, and natural wine stability.
All our wines are fermented spontanously using the natural yeasts found in our vineyards, cellar, and ecosystem. We choose to ferment spontaenously as it allows us to give a better representation of our land, microclimate, and terroir all while showing the true character of our varieties. Our wines are fresh, young, and easy to drink.