Esenca

Esenca is one of the traditions in our family. After several rounds of thinning out and selecting grapes that are left on the vine until the early days of winter (mid-November, which is very late for the Brda region), only a very small quantity of healthy grapes remain on the vine reaching predicate wine quality (usually at least »Auslese« or »Beerenauslese« quality).

These grapes are placed in wooden crates and left to dry in a draughty and dry barn. It is very important for the grapes to remain healthy during the first two or three months of this process, which is why they have to be picked through and sorted at least once a week to remove any rotting berries. Once the berries lose between 30 and 40 percent of their water, the grapes become more resilient. That is when they are moved to the cellar where humidity is substantially higher and where noble rot (Botrytis Nobile) develops; 3 to 4 weeks into this final ripening process developing higher volatile acid levels, the grapes are ready for pressing around Easter. Movia traditionally presses these grapes on Easter proper. The must obtained from pressing is transferred to new wooden casks, another family tradition, extending the maturing process of the wine. It takes about 40kg of grapes harvested in this manner to produce 1 liter of wine.