I allowed everyone a lie in on Saturday after the rigours of the first two days, so a 9.30 start seemed like luxury! A gentle but full day was in store as we took a short drive to the beautiful Ducal winery, just 8 hecares, situated in the Sentilj hills and right on the border with Austria. With the white stone markers clear to see, many of us were keen to make this trip a “two centre, three country tour” as we had driven briefly through Italy on Thursday so we took a walk through the vines into Austria!
The Ducal winery is a visual feast of fabulous architecture and modern chic which retains the classic features of the old cellar. Tim Ducal took us round and with a glass in hand, we were entranced by the attention to detail, the art and old Georgian amphorae. Ducal combine traditional techniques with stainless steel and the results were terrific. Really well balanced wines, judicious use of oak and wonderful poise and balance. We also tried their Pinot Noir which is a new development and showed great promise. Another great visit.
From Ducal we took an hour’s drive almost to the Croatian border through the historic town of Ptuj and to Velika Nedelja where we found the extraordinary Kogl winery. Zlatka Cvetko is the owner the estate combines amazing modern art with a cellar that dates back to 1542. Zlatka is a vibrant character with very clearly defined views on her approach to wine and assertively debated and replied to the various questions posed. It was a glorious afternoon and we sat outside overlooking the views out to Croatia from the beautiful hilltop garden tasting through their range of wines. As we were dining later, Zlatka had put on a lovely light spread of local meats and cheeses which ensured we weren’t totally stuffed for our evening farewell dinner.
The acclaimed Rozmarin restaurant in Maribor was our venue for dinner and yet another special occasion was in store. Marco, the sommelier, hosted a sparkling wine reception and gave us a sneaky tour of their Bordeaux cellar. We got to touch a full bottle of Chateau Petrus 2004 (£2000 per bottle in the UK) but alas I have a house rule that we only drink wines of the region on tour…..
Onto dinner and an eclectic and beautifully presented dinner was enjoyed. Nettle soup with cottage cheese dumplings and smoked pancetta, a savoury truffle ice cream on polenta, delicious lamb cutlets and finished off with a chocolate brownie and rhubarb dessert assiette. We drank Pinot Gris, Ducal’s Renski Riesling 2010, Dveri Pax Pinot Noir and finished off with an incredible rarity – a magnum of 1996 sweet Rhine Riesling that was a majestic treat!