Dalia Trac Gewurztraminer 2024
Dalia Trac Gewurztraminer
Region: Timok, Serbia
Vintage: 2024
Bottle size: 75cl
Grape: Gewurztraminer
ABV: 13.5%
Intense yellow in colour, this fresh and easy drinking Gewürztraminer displays pronounced aromas of lychee, white flowers, and candied fruit on the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied with balanced acidity and a fruity finish.
The fruit is sourced mostly from Vinarija Raj’s organically farmed, nine-hectare vineyard in the village of Rajac. Vinarija Dalia rent 0.8 hectares of Gewürztraminer in the village of Smedovac. The region enjoys a dry, sunny, continental climate, moderated by the Deli Jovan Mountain to the west and the Danube River to the east. The Gewürztraminer grapes grow at 150-200 metres above sea level, on soils predominantly composed of clay and limestone, which contribute to the flavour intensity and freshness of the grapes. The vines are mostly Guyot trained and farmed using only copper, sulphur, and natural treatments to combat fungal diseases, and they employ shallow ploughing to improve the soil structure.
The grapes were handpicked, allowing for careful selection in the vineyard. Upon arrival at the winery, the fruit was crushed, and the juice spent 24 hours in contact with its skins before being pressed. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts took place in stainless steel tanks, after which the wine was racked, and small amounts of sulphur were added. The wine was then aged on fine lees in stainless-steel tanks for eight months, prior to bottling without fining or filtration.
Dalia (derived from the Arabic for ‘grapevine’) was founded in 2021 as a collaboration between Kristina and a winery she’d previously consulted for, Vinarija Raj, in the Negotin Valley (Negotinska Krajina) of Eastern Serbia. A subregion of Timok, the Negotin Valley is close to the borders of both Bulgaria and Romania. The valley, described as a ‘treasure trove of modern Serbian wine’ by Caroline Gilby MW, enjoys a dry, sunny continental climate moderated by the Deli Jovan Mountain to the west and the Danube River to the east.