Polish wine exploration: Winnica Silesian
Winnica Silesian is a winery in lower Silesian, Poland, and it’s run by Ebsen Madsen (pictured above), a climate scientist who lived for 12 years in the UK. The vineyard was planted in 2016 on decomposed granite, at an altitude of 230 m. Vintages have been quite varied: 2018 and 2019 were hot, and then 2020 was a disaster because it was so cold. 90% of the yield was lost that year. 2021 and 2022 were good, though. In 2024 there was a spring frost and 90% of the crop was lost. ‘It’s total instability,’ says Ebsen. ‘We are going to see more of it.’ The growing season isn’t that long, and he picks late in November after waiting for the acids to drop a bit. His in-laws are equestrians, hence the labels.
Winnica Silesian Piesecco Cabernet Cortis/Regent/Rondo Brut Nature NV Poland
This is refermented in bottle as in the traditional method, but it isn’t disgorged. Cloudy pink in colour this shows lovely fruit with tangy raspberry and cherry, with good balance. Dry and textured with good acidity. 90/100
Winnica Silesian Souvignier Gris 2022 Poland
Bold, rich and pithy with nice acidity and dense fruit: pear and some peach. Really rich and fruity with nice depth. 90/100
Winnica Silesian Riesling 2021 Poland
13% alcohol, 8 g/l acidity, 5 g/l residual sugar. Stainless steel. Fruity, pure and linear with nice density and good acidity. Has nice intensity, and a hint of wax. 91/100
Winnica Silesian Solaris 2023 Poland
This is a sweet wine, made with botrytis, and it has 97 g/l residual sugar and a TA of 9 g/l. Bold, dense pineapple, apricot and melon fruit with nice depth. Rich and sweet, showing great balance. 92/100
Winnica Silesian Cabernet Cortis/Regent/Rondo Rosé 2023 Poland
This is a blend of the three PIWI varieties they grow. It’s full red/orange in colour with sweet strawberry and cherry fruit, showing nice flesh, lovely fruit and nice balance. Lots of volume. 89/100
Winnica Silesian Rondo-Vous 2022 Poland
Carbonic maceration and wild ferment. Full red/pink colour. Supple, fruity and lighter styled, this has rich texture and attractive bright fruit. Fleshy and appealing. 92/100
Winnica Silesian Roter Riesling 2022 Poland
Southwestern Poland, granitic soils, on a SW slope. They grow lots of resistant varieties but also some vinifera (Riesling and Roter Riesling) on 10.5 hectares, and they are in the process of organic conversion. Roter Riesling is a skin colour mutation of Weisser Riesling. Wild ferment and skin fermentation. Orange/copper colour. Lovely balance and weight here with lemon, pear, apple and even some peach, as well as some tannic structure adding an extra dimension. Aromatic and also with a lovely savoury dimension, showing some black tea notes. This is really good: I like the grippy tannins here. 92/100
Cuvée Colorée Cabernet Cortis/Regent/Rondo NV
Three vintages, 2019, 2021, 2022, with different vinification techniques. Supple fruit with nice depth, and some spicy detail. Cherry and plum fruit, with good harmony. 92/100
