Slovenia: visiting biodynamic star Korenika & Moškon
Website: https://korenikamoskon.eu/
The latest part of my Slovenian exploration saw me head to the Adriatic cost, to a corner of Slovenia bordering Italy and Croatia (visible over the salt pans), known as Slovenian Istria. The winery is Korenika and Moškon, which is run by Matej Korenika (pictured above) and Tina Kotrle, and they are based in a village called Korte. They farm 25 hectares of vines biodynamically.
The story? It goes back to 1984 when his father began selling grapes. Then in 1988 they made a large quantity of wine and sold most of this in bulk, but kept a bit. Then in 1990 they began commercializing bottled wine, which was very rare at the time.
When they started in 1990 the bottles were so expensive that they re-used them. The label was also quite interesting, too. They were the third winery in the region to bottle wine; everyone else had been selling their wine in bulk.
The key grape variety in this region is Malvazija. We began our visit in the Paderna vineyard, which is mostly Malvazija, but has some Chardonnay, too. This was planted in 1991.
The second stop was in the valley, in Calcinar vineyard. This is also mostly Malvazija, but they’ve also planted some Pinot Gris.
The third stop was Bankina, and here there’s a plot from 1952, the oldest vines in the region.
Finally, a hillside plot called Podkortinca, which is a warm spot where reds grow: Cabernet Sauvignon, Refosco and Merlot. It faces southeast.
In a normal year they can make 100 000 bottles, but 2023 and 2024 were a bit tricky so they made 60 000 in 2023 and less than 50 000 in 2024. They lost about 10% of their market when Russia, which was important for them, invaded Ukraine.
All wild ferments, and all the 2023 whites didn’t do malolactic fermentation.
Korenika & Moškon Bankina Malvazija 1952 2023 Istria, Slovenia
13% alcohol. This is the old 1952 vineyard on the plain. Hand picked, 2 days on skins, then pressed, fermented in stainless steel and 40% then goes to large wood for 5 months, before blending all the components together. Textured, concentrated, powerful and intense with a salty undertow and bold flavours of spice-laden yellow fruits with a lovely citrus drive. This is really lively in the mouth. Real intensity here. Pure, fresh and alive. 95/100
Korenika & Moškon Paderno Malvazija 2023 Istria, Slovenia
14% alcohol. This is at the top of the hill and was planted in 1991. 50% of the wine spends six months in French tonneaux. Fresh, textured, pure and lively with melon, pear and table grape as well as some wood spice notes. There’s a hint of incense here, but there’s great focus and weight with a long, tapering finish. 93/100
Korenika & Moškon Malvazija 2023 Istria, Slovenia
13% alcohol. The entry level Malvazija that spends one night on skins then fermented and aged in stainless steel. Really pure, enticing nose of yellow fruits and a touch of melon and mandarin. The palate is pure, textural and direct with great balance and a stony, mineral, spicy edge. Very stylish and sophisticated with a slight saltiness on the finish. This is quite beautiful. 94/100
Korenika & Moškon Tris 2023 Istria, Slovenia
12% alcohol. Pinot Blanc, Malvazija and then 5% Mušcat Momjanski. Stainless steel after one night skin contact. This is quite powerful and intense with some spicy detail, with concentration and depth as well as some saltiness. It almost seems like it has some wood spice, but there’s no oak here. Vivid and intense with some grip on the finish. A distinctive wine. 92/100
Korenika & Moškon 3 Pinot 2023
12% alcohol. Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Stainless steel after on night skin contact. Dry, focused and quite intense with some apple peel, lemon and a touch of melon, with good acidity and a slight salty twist on the finish. Nice purity and intensity here with a touch of cherry and wild strawberry in the mix. Gastronomic and dry. 93/100
Korenika & Moškon Fusion Terroir Selection 2019
100% Muscat (yellow Muscat and Momianska Muscat), no skin. This is aged four years in stainless steel. Highly aromatic with some sweet grapey, rose petal notes. The palate shows lovely terpenic Muscat character with some nice gentle spiciness and some dried herb character, as well as the bold grapey fruit. Very stylish and you’d never guess this was almost six years old. 93/100
The 2023 wines mark a slightly new direction. The difference between those and the next two is that for the pre-2023 wines they used two days longer skin contact and they did malolactic fermentation.
Korenika & Moškon Tris 2022
14.5% alcohol. This has a nice concentration of bold pear, table grape and melon fruit, with some nice citrus brightness and a fine, spicy, structural edge. Juicy and linear, and dry but with a nice sweet fruit profile. Lovely balance here, finishing spicy. 92/100
Korenika & Moškon Malvazija 2021
14.5% alcohol. This is textural and finely spiced with nice citrus and marmalade richness, with yellow plum and pear fruit. Lovely texture and fruit weight with some depth to the fruit and some fine spicy structure on the finish. 93/100
Korenika & Moškon Sulne 2013
14.5% alcohol. 50% Malvazija, 25% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir. 45 days on skins then aged in big barrels for six years. Golden colour. Powerful aromas of honey, spice and apricot with nice spicy detail. Real intensity here with ripe apple on the finish. Some autumnal character. 92/100
Korenika & Moškon Paderno 2015
14.5% alcohol. Malvazija, 15 days on skins, aged in tonneaux. Complex melon, pear and peach fruit on the nose. Lively and powerful on the palate with nice spicy structure as well as sweet fruit. Such tensile energy to this wine, with a long, savoury, saline finish. Edgy and complex, but quite beautiful. 95/100
Korenika & Moškon Refošk 2020 Primorska, Slovenia
13% alcohol. From vineyards facing north. Three day cold soak, then fermented, then aged in stainless steel. Floral, intense and aromatic with a spicy edge to the fruit. Some hints of tar and chocolate, too. Grippy, intense and vivid on the palate with good acidity accentuating the tannins, finishing spicy and grippy. Such a distinctive wine. Really intense. 93/100
Korenika & Moškon Bis 2019 Primorska, Slovenia
13.5% alcohol. 60% Merlot, 40% Pinot Noir. Picked on same day, 5 days on skins at 10 C, then pressed and fermented off the skins. Tarry, spicy edge to the nose which shows sweet berry and black fruits. The palate is juicy and vivid with a tangy, spicy edge to the fruit. Supple, quite rich and dense, but fresh and drinkable at the same time. 92/100
Korenika & Moškon Kortinca 2013 Primorska, Slovenia
16% alcohol. From the terraced sloped vineyard. 100% Refošk. Complex aromatics of balsamic vinegar, black cherries, tar and blackcurrant. The palate is powerful, spicy and dense with vivid black fruits as well as tar, pepper and wood spice. Powerful and intense, finishing dry and savoury. 91/100
Korenika & Moškon Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Primorska, Slovenia
16.5% alcohol. Rich, spicy and complex with a savoury woody note under the sweet cherry and berry fruits, with some aniseed and hazelnut, as well as a touch of cinnamon. The fruit is really sweet and there’s lushness and richness. 90/100
