In the last decade, it’s become common to see celebrated winemakers launch projects in far-flung corners of the wine world. But twenty-five years ago, such ventures were still rare. So, when the legendary ...
In the last decade, it’s become common to see celebrated winemakers launch projects in far-flung corners of the wine world. But twenty-five years ago, such ventures were still rare. So, when the legendary Egon Müller began making wine at a 225-year-old château and hotel in Slovakia, it raised eyebrows. Since 2001, working alongside full-time chef de cave Miroslav Petrech, Egon has been producing brilliant whites at Château Belá—Riesling foremost among them, along with Grüner Veltliner and the local variety Breslava. These are wines of precision and purity, typically fermented dry, with clarity of fruit and a structure that places them confidently alongside the greatest wines of Austria and Alsace.
Named for Slovak capital Bratislava, Breslava is a native variety developed in 1960 by crossing Traminer, Santa Maria d'Alcantara and Chasselas Rosé. Fermented and aged in large oak vats for roughly eight months, the 2022 Breslava is a delight, with prominent citrus and tropical notes backed up by touches of white flowers and dried honeycomb. There is considerable acidity here and the overall effect is worryingly moreish.
