Korže Halozeze 2023

A bone-dry white wine of remarkable clarity and energy, vinified from 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Furmint. On the nose, green apple, lemon, lime, and mandarin meet whitecurrant and dried herbs, before giving way to a stonier, wilder dimension: smoke, lichen, damp undergrowth, and a touch of oxidative apple cider. Both varieties speak in perfect unison. 13.5% ABV.

The grapes originate from the Korž parcel within the single vineyard Gorca in Haloze, a rugged, rolling hill country southeast of Ptuj where bare rock surfaces in places. The bedrock is Opok, the region's calcareous marl containing between a quarter and a third lime content. The terraces sit at elevations of 270 to 340 metres with slopes inclining up to 65 percent; all work is done by hand, with roughly two thousand vines per hectare and barely one kilogram of grapes harvested per vine.

The 16-year-old vines were harvested on 15 September. Following spontaneous fermentation, the wine matured for twelve months in large used wooden casks and subsequently in stainless steel. It was bottled on 3 July 2025, unfined, unfiltered, and with no added sulphur.

The initial attack appears almost delicate, yet a dense, firm structure lies underneath. Taut acidity meets intense salinity, lemon, and the smoky Opok spice, complemented by grip and fine-grained tannins that pull the wine across the palate. With air, it unfurls layer by layer without sacrificing any of its precision. The finish is long and radiant, lingering with citrus zest, salt, and crushed rock.

In Haloze, Michael and Maria Gross cultivate terraced slopes that had been abandoned for decades; Furmint was the grape variety of Michael's grandmother and stands today as the estate's signature variety defining its identity. Around seventy percent of their wines are bottled without added sulphur. Korže is among the crus bearing the seal of Slovenska Velika Lega, of which Vino Gross is a founding member.