Krásná hora Blanc de Noir 2016

Krásná hora Blanc de Noir 2016

This is another wine that I had the pleasure of trying grown in Moravia, Czech Republic, Krásná horaBlanc de Noir 2016. Amanda Wilson of Ahtel Wines from Amherst, NH. contacted me to see if I would be interested in trying some wines they are importing.  The wines were at the USATT event in NYC also were at Vin Expo the first week of March. You can purchase these wines directly at their website. They are currently looking for distributors for Krásná hora Cuvée Bernety 2015 and their other wines.

About the vineyard

I covered this Vineyard in the last review of their Krásná Hora Cuvée Bernety 2015. Today another fine wine Krásná hora Blanc de Noir 2016.

The vineyard is A small family-run winery. Krásná hora’s which means beautiful mountains approach to their vineyards is the same as their children, “we love them and we try to do our best to make the best of them.”  Their first planting began in 1960 by their grandfather during communist control. They own 7 hectares of certified organic vineyards and since 2014 have used Bio-Dynamic methods. All fruit is hand-picked. They prefer to stay small and produce high-quality wines. The first vines in their line were planted in the 13th. century by French monks using traditional French varietals such as Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir. The vineyards are Krásná hora Blanc de Noir 2016of varied soils including loess, sand, and limestone making perfect for planting various varietals.  

About the region

Vina?ství Krásná hora is located in Moravia,  Moravia is an area that takes up 30% of the whole Czech Republic, bordering the Niederösterreich region of Austria, Slovakia in the east, and Bohemia in the west. The rich history of the land has a story dating back to the 2nd century and is known as a traditional region in Central Europe that served as the center of a major medieval kingdom, known as Great Moravia. In the 20th century, Moravia became part of the modern state of Czechoslovakia and subsequently of the Czech Republic after the fall of communism.

About the wine

Krásná hora Blanc de Noir 2016 is a rosé, that is white wine made from red Grapes.  It is 100% Pinot Noir. Because they use Pinot Noir grapes the color is not red and not white. The grapes consist of two Pinot Noir clones. The German clone is more fresh and juicy and the Burgundy clone is a small full grape that is full of structure. The grapes get pressed with stamps the same way as Champagne. Fermentation takes place in steel 85% and oak casks 15% for 8 months.

What I found

Wow is what I found! I chilled it well, this is when I needed a Kelvin wine thermometer. It was a bit too cold in the beginning but I let it rest for a few minutes to warm and it was luscious. The color is the most beautiful salmon almost orange.  It has a wonderful aroma of what I sense is berries and a touch of maybe pear. There is also a wisp of oak peaking out. The flavor because it is made from red grapes gives more of a red wine character. It is just off-dry with black cherry and what I caught was a hint of citrus. It is very refreshing and goes down wonderfully. The finish is long, dry and enjoyable. Alcohol content 13%, acidity 6.5g/l and only 250 cases made. In my book, this wine is a winner. I seldom drink white or rosé but I give this a 90 on my meter   I think it would go with lighter fare, grilled chicken, vegetable dishes or by itself at the pool. This is again available at Ahtel Wines  Tell Amanda I sent you. Until next week cheers and be safe

Lew