Maurer – Orion 2022

Maurer – Orion 2022
Mezes Feher
Serbia, Fruška Gora

The Mezes Feher grape, once a Central European favorite, was nearly wiped out by the Phylloxera plague in the late 19th century – an epidemic caused by the grapevine pest, a small sap-sucking insect, inadvertently introduced to Europe from North America, where native grapevines had resistance to it.

Oszkár Maurer is the hero behind its resurrection, playing a crucial role in bringing this nearly forgotten varietal back to life.
Today, he remains one of the few winemakers crafting wine from this rare grape.

Despite its tendency to ripen early, Maurer hand-picks these grapes in late October, allowing noble rot to affect part of the harvest. The grapes then undergo fourteen days of skin contact before aging in old oak barrels, sealed with beeswax and left untouched for over a year under a flor*.
The wine displays a deep orange hue with golden undertones, exuding a mysterious, smoky character. On the nose, aromas of apricot, dried fruits, and a touch of yuzu leap out, while layers of floral notes, hay, and acacia honey unfurl with time in the glass.

On the palate, there’s a captivating interplay of pine resin, salted caramel, and candied orange zest, forming an irresistible flavor marriage.
Bright, lively acidity and silky tannins provide the perfect framework for this extraordinary wine.

* Flor is a veil of yeast that develops on the surface of wine during barrel aging, a process most famously used in the production of Sherry, and of course in Jura where they call it sous voile (French for “under a veil”).
Flor protects the wine from excessive oxidation while imparting distinctive nutty, yeasty notes, with a subtle savory edge. This nuance beautifully complements the fruity and floral characteristics, adding an extra layer of intrigue to an already extraordinary wine.