Milan Nestarec Bêl 2024 (1L)

The 2024 vintage was impacted by spring frosts right from the start, resulting in a smaller yield and an occasional uneven ripening. During flowering, there was a period of rain followed by a long period of drought and extreme temperatures. This contributed to an unusually early harvest, beginning mid-August – the harvest was done mid-September, by the time we’d normally start. Thanks to careful vineyard and canopy management and quick pickers – shout out to these hardbodies who managed to do it in temperatures reaching high-30s day after day – we managed to get grapes with relatively low potential alcohol but good extract. We worked quickly, I bet mostly on pressing whole bunches, and the wines ultimately proved my hunch right, the wines are delicate, but well-structured.

Grape varieties Gruner Veltliner, Welschriesling, Muller Thurgau

Region Moravia

Subregion Velkopavlovická

Village Velké Bílovice & Moravský Žižkov

Vineyard Blend of different plots

Aspect South-west and south-east

Average altitude 205–260m ASL

Slope 5–15%

Soil Loess

Farming Organic (certified by ABCERT)

Age of vines 7–23 years old

Vineyard size 4 ha

Training system Guyot

Density of plantation 2.2 × 1.0 m and 2.0 × 0.9 m Yield 38 hl/ha

Harvest August 22–23, 2024

Vinification Whole bunch direct press

Pressing Slow and gentle, 0.25 bar maximum

Fermentation Spontaneous, stainless steel and wood

Aging Stainless steel + wood

Fining No

Filtration No

Sulfur addition 5 ppm before bottling

Bottling April 2025

ABV 12.0%

Acids 6.2 g/l

Residual sugar 0.1 g/l

Closure Crown cap

Serving temperature 11–12 °C