It has been a while since my last
encounter with this beautiful bold little ode to Riesling. I suppose it was the
vintage 2007 or 2008. Then and today I was and am impressed by the
heavy lushness and determined density of this Riesling from Slovakia.
Well, of course there is the influence of Egon Müller from Germany's
prominent winery Scharzhof in Wiltingen to guarantee quality in the
vineyards and the cellar. Putting this fact aside there is a unique
character to this Riesling which you probably cannot find in other
regions or other Rieslings in this very wine world! I mean a certain
close to brachial rich glazy boldness combined with refined elegant
flowery impressions. Sounds contradictiv? Well, fair enough! Anyway,
I start blathering lyrical wine-speak. We really don't want to read
this! Don't we? Let's drop some rudimentary knowledge about Château
Béla first! Château Belá is a joint venture of Egon Müller, as
already mentioned, and family Krokow(-Ullman), Egon Müller's wife is
a born Krokow, as well as the local vintner Miroslav Petrech. Since
2001 they produce Riesling (and some Cabernet Sauvignon and even
Pinot Noir – well that would be a treat for a Pinot lover like me -
for quite a while) from a few calcerous hectares in Štúrovo region in
the south-west of Slovakia.
