Movia Veliko Rosso 2001

Slovenia? Yea thats right. It's not that far from Italy (so maybe I am not so far from Italian?), and this winery straddles the border. Ales Kristancic has made quite a name for himself, and his often hard to find Movia wines have been highly recommended...

EXPERIENCE
It's obvious from the cork (inappropriate description omitted) that this is one for the decanter. We decanted 3/4 of the bottle for around a hour and ever so slowly drank two glasses straight from the bottle while we waited. The nose is earthy, with cinnamon and tobacco (cohibas not camels). First taste is very dry, though it begins to smooth out. With time, the wine become less dry and it's tartness gives way to a more peppery finish. The decanted wine has a distinctive aroma of honey and the tart, peppery dryness is much more in balance. You also get the flavor of dark berries on the tongue that really wasn't there at all with the non-decanted wine. Easily the longest we've ever spent on a single bottle, subtle flavors that never stopped evolving.

VERDICT
GREAT VALUE - We can't recall our exact purchase price, but are pretty sure it was around $40. A wine this complex could easily sell for much more. This is not a bottle for the impatient or for leisurely consumption with food, but rather an education for the palate.

FACTS
Movia's vineyards lie on the Italian-Slovenian border, and while grapes technically come from both countries the winery itself is located in Slovenia. The Veliko Rosso is a blend of cabernet, merlot, and pinot noir. IWM has a nice page on Movia with more details about their so-called "radical" operations. A note about the fact that you don't really see much Slovenian wine (also from IWM)... "There was actually a government agriculture sanction for a long time in Slovenia that pretty much halted all wine production.  Except for Movia.  They felt this one winery was so important that they left only him alone to do as he pleased.  50% of his vineyards are actually in Italy so I am sure having Italy to back him up didn't hurt either."