An Introduction To Erdevik
Write up by Chris Nolan
Last week we put a spotlight on to a Greek winery we have stocked for a while, but which snuck into the shop at the same time as large number other products and got somewhat lost. This week I would like to put the focus onto another winery, Erdevik from Serbia. Some of you may have tried the top wine from this winery, the mighty Grand Trianon! With the mild weekend we have just had and that tantalising preview of a spring on the horizon, I would like to introduce you to the rest of their range.
Serbian wine is not particularly well known outside of its own borders, there are many interesting historical reasons why this is the case for many of the countries in the former Yugoslavia and wider “Eastern Bloc” which we will dive into in the next edition of our “Eastern Excursion” tasting later in the year. For now, let us look at this top producer and why you should dip your toes into the world of Serbian wines.
The Erdevik winery sits exactly on the 45th parallel, right in the centre of the 40th and 50th parallel’s, that magic band where all the top European wine regions lie. We are in fact, at exactly the same Latitude as the vineyards of Bordeaux and Piedmont.
Fruska Gora is the home of Erdevik, this is a solitary mountain ridge that used to be an island, surrounded by the, now vanished, Pannonian sea. To say the terroir is unique is an understatement! Planted on the lower slopes, the soil is multilayered and full of minerals which provides robustness and complexity in the wines. On the surface the soil is alluvial with several layers of clay and limestone where plant roots are reaching fossilized segments of shell and coral, remnants from the Pannonian sea sediments.
Despite the uniqueness of the setting, there is a glaring similarity to Bordeaux other than sharing the same latitude, this is the influence of a river, and what a river it is! Instead of the Gironde estuary, Fruska Gora’s North side lies on a stretch of the mighty Danube. The effect of the river is similar to that of Bordeaux, helping the grapes ripen in the best possible way, getting the sunlight both from the sun and as a reflection off the river.
So, the wine. The winery is modern and the wines produced are thoroughly modern too, made with both native and international varietals. We currently hold quite a number of wines from Erdevik, currently the Rose and Grand Trianon are out of stock, do not panic though, these will be back in due course!
Erdevik Bellucci Tamjanika
This is the wine that first grabbed our attention from Erdevik. Tamjanika is the native name for Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, widely regarded as the finest of the Muscat varieties. The wine is full and elegant, with a pleasant acidity, a clearly balanced floral-fruity character, and a complementary mineral tone at the end. With its floral bouquet, this is a great wine to complement your efforts in the garden on a sunny day or to pair perfectly with some coal kissed sea food. If you a fan of your Southern Italian whites, give this a shot!
Erdevik Geronimo Graschatz
Graschatz is the grape here, also known as Welschriesling elsewhere. Here we are in the grapes home territory where instead of the bland versions of “jobbing wine” produced elsewhere, the variety reaches its full flavour potential, darting from notes of guava to pear, peach and blossom. The tropical and honied flavour profile make this a great partner for East Asian cuisine, thinking about it, I want to have this for lunch one day with a bánh mì!
Erdevik Nopi Djorgri Pinot Grigio
An international varietal of some fame, infamy? We often joke that pinot grigio tastes like wet, not in a completely disparaging sense, sometimes you don’t want a challenging wine, just a cooling drink. The Nopi Djorgri is not a simple chugger that you would be expecting from the vast majority of Northern Italian offerings, here you have a complex yet still refreshing, mineral driven style. Smelling of gala apples and fresh lemon, I challenge you to find a better example from Veneto at the same price point!
Erdevik Kunst PG 21
This is Erdevik’s top Pinot Grigio. Grigio in Italian, Gris in French, both meaning “grey”, so called because the grapes have a pinky/grey hue to them. It seems a shame that so much pinot grigio is destined for blandness, this is anything but bland. Instead of picking grapes under or very just ripe to get a high acid, neutral wine as is so common, here we have perfectly ripe grapes with the vinification taking place on the grape skins. The result is a complex wine, with the pinky hue of the grapes, this sits somewhere between rose and orange wine territory. Flavours range from nuts to rosehip, ripe fruit with a saline tang and just a touch of tannin.
Erdevik Roza Nostra
Here is a rose for any lover of Provence. Provence is great and I could happily sit around for an entire afternoon with it, periodically waving my empty glass around and exclaiming “garçon!” Is that rude? I never learned French… Provence’s great strength is in its sheer drinkability, but I would never describe it as interesting. This wine is a great step for a Provence fan who is looking for something new or more complex. This rose is dry, bone dry. Herbal notes of oregano and nettle mingle with the classic Provence flavours of strawberry, peach and stones.
Erdevik Grand Trianon
Here is the flagship, the big daddy with an equally big punch of 16% ABV! It is not cheap, but this is the wine that customers keep returning for. It physically feels expensive and as luck would have it, tastes expensive to boot! This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, there is that Bordeaux comparison again, but with the addition of Shiraz. The shiraz brings amazing spice to the classic Bordeaux blending partners, shifting the tannin structure firmly into the “velvety” realm. Pair with Sunday lunch or a comfy chair.
