Maurer – Szeremi Zold 2022

Szeremi Zold 2022

Maurer – Szeremi Zold 2022

Serbia

Natural white wine made by Oszkar Maurer.

Szeremi Zold, also known as Sremska Zelenika, is an ancient Pannonian Basin (southeast Central Europe) variety, if it got its name from its origin, it is most likely native to Mt. Fruška Gora – north of Serbia – a wine region known as Srem in Serbian or Szerémség in Hungarian.

The earliest written records of Szerémi Zöld date back to the 15th century. The grape is mentioned in several Hungarian wine catalogues from that period, including the “Kódex Vinaria” of 1442 and the “Kódex Pray” of 1506. These documents describe Szerémi Zöld as a late-ripening grape variety that produces full-bodied, oily wines with a high acidity, cultivated around the rivers Danube, Sava and Tisa.

The nose reveals aromas of bruised apple and meadow flowers, followed by flavours of quince, peach and melon on the palate.

One year of aging in old oak barrels brings a tender oxidative remnant of roasted hazelnut, toffee and dry apricot. The wine is rich and expressive; even though 2022 had a really high average temperature, one of the top three since the 1950s, it has just 11% alcohol.

This is certainly a validation that a holistic and biodynamic approach to grape growing brings phenolic ripeness (flavour ripeness – when the grapes taste great) and sugar level (responsible for alcohol level) in perfect balance.

Of course, this is in combination with an indigenous grape variety and 113 year old vines that build quite some resilience.

Nevertheless, an exceptional wine with great balance, one-of-a-kind, a true expression of the terroir and the tradition of the region. For a curious natural wine explorer, a unique experience.

It is a wine that invites you to savour every sip, to discover its nuances and layers, to enjoy its finesse and refined complexity.