VINTAGES
Due to the constantly alternating warm, cold, rainy and sunny periods, the vintages differ greatly from one year to the next. They may sometimes look similar, but no two vintages are quite the same. From the beginning of the growth period to the end of the harvest, we monitor the weather daily. On the basis of meteorological data and many years of experience, we decide on what needs to be done in the vineyard, paying special attention as harvest approaches. This is how we attain the best possible quality and desired style of wine in any vintage and in all varieties.
2024
It was been a very mild winter. Only a few days in January saw temperaturesdrop below zero. Budbreak started three weeks earlier than in the previous year and one week earlier than in the earliest year, which was 2017. The vines developed rapidly, with a spring temperature record of 29°C on 14 th of April. A few days later, the weather cooled down, and on 22 nd of April the temperature dropped to zero. Lower-lying parts of vineyards partially suffered from frost.
Flowering started on 20 th of May, three weeks earlier than the year before. After flowering, there were many rainy days and the growth was vigorous. In July, it warmed up and there was a hailstorm on 13 th of July. The vineyard in Ivanjkovci was the worst affected. In August, it was above 30°C for 10 days in a row, which greatly accelerated ripening.
The onset of harvest 2024 was the earliest ever; 2 weeks ahead of the earliest ever before that and almost a month ahead of the previous year. The harvest started on 21 st of August. The hot and dry weather continued. Due to the high temperatures, we started work early in the morning and finished before the afternoon heat. The grapes were chilled in the cellar before processing. We rushed as fast as we could and finished harvesting on 14 th of September, one week before the start of autumn.
2024 is a record year due to the early start of the growing season and a hot August. Frost and hail caused yields to be 15% lower on average. We started on time and rushed the harvest, cooling the grapes and capturing the optimal parameters of the grapes that allow the desired Verus style of wine.
2023
The beginning of the year was warm, there was almost no winter. Temperatures fell below freezing for only one week at the beginning of February. A cold and rainy spring followed, which meant a later start to the growing season than might have been expected after such a mild winter.
Flowering began on June 10. It took place optimally in good weather. A large supply of water remained in the soil after abundant spring rainfall, which resulted in lush growth. The summer brought frequent storms and a long rainy season with high rainfall. The central part of the country was hit by catastrophic floods on August 4. There were no serious consequences in our regions, but due to the large number of rainy days, we had major problems with timely care of vineyards, especially with protecting the vines from diseases.
The ripening of the grapes was delayed due to such a summer, but after August 10 we experienced nice, not too hot, sunny weather. The grapes in our vineyards ripened normally and we started harvesting on September 11. The harvest took place without problems, in good weather, until October 4.
We obtained extremely drinkable wines with a slightly lower alcohol level, aromatic and with a well-expressed varietal characteristics. Therefore, despite all the problems during the summer, we can characterize the vintage as an excellent, very typical Styrian vintage.
2022
The winter period was snow-free and distinctly dry. After a relatively warm January and February, the weather cooled down in March, so the budding was not premature.
There was sufficient rainfall in the spring, the weather warmed up in mid-May and growthwas uninterrupted. Flowering began on 1 st of June. It was going slowly but without anyproblems. On 17 th of June there was light hail storm in the vineyards of Lešnica andIvanjkovci. It was not too harmful and as a result there was no damage to the quantity andquality of the grapes at this stage. It has been a challenging year in terms of diseaseprotection.
The summer was dry and hot. We had 9 days in total with temperatures above 30 o C. Thewarmest day was 23 rd of June, when it reached 35.7 o C. The prolonged dry and hot weather accelerated the ripening of the grapes.
The hot, dry summer promoted the ripening of the grapes and we started harvesting on 31 stof August. It went quickly and without problems. We have finished harvesting by 21st of September. The grapes were excellent, very similar in quantity and quality to last year.
2021
Much like last year, the winter was mild, snowless, with temperatures rarely dropping below freezing. However, March and April were colder than usually. On 07/04, the morning temperature was as low as -3°C. Buds of early varieties had just begun to open up and could sustain this dangerously low temperature without any damage. This means that we just managed to avoid the spring frost in our vineyards.
Due to the cold weather in May, flowering began as late as on 14/06. In the last 25 years, flowering has never begun later than that. Immediately afterwards, it quickly became warmer and the flowering stage took place without interruption and very fast for all varieties.
The summer was nice, warm, without temperature extremes, and with little precipitation. Such weather made it largely possible to compensate for the late start of the flowering and the harvest could begin on 13/09. Such nice weather with typical cool nights and sunny days went on all the way until the end of the harvest. The harvest was complete within 15 days with the expected amounts of top-quality grapes.
Due to moderate yield and perfect weather in August and September, the grapes ripened perfectly. We were especially surprised by Furmint grapes flavour intensity. Since during the ripening stage the precipitation was relatively low, the ripening level, high concentration of ripe aromas, and an extremely rich flavour for 2021 were unprecedented.
2020
Winter, like some of the previous ones, was mild and snowless. Too warm winter months encourage early budding and pose a risk of spring frost. It cooled down in late March, snow fell in mid-April and budding began at normal times. Due to cold spells in April and May, the growing season started a bit later than in previous years.
Flowering began on 1 June. Due to the colder weather, it was slower but went smoothly anyway. It was also colder in late spring and early summer, with frequent rainfall. The summer was beautiful, sunny, not too hot, without a lot of precipitation, storms and hail. Grape ripening took place at moderate temperatures, which are excellent for aroma development.
As we were preparing for the harvest, pleased that we had taken the year off without a hitch, on August 30, the last hot and steamy day of the year, we were caught in a severe hailstorm. Strong gusts of wind knocked down trees and exposed the roofs of houses. The storm covered much of our wine-growing district. It spared only the eastern (Ivanjkovci) and western (Kog) part. Many vineyards have suffered damage—to a varying extent, depending on the exposure of each vineyard. Two of our vineyards: Lešnica and Brebrovnik, were severely affected by the hail—the vines lost so much leaf mass that the grapes did not ripen, and we had to eliminate it. In other vineyards, the damage was not severe. Dry, sunny weather allowed the grapes to ripen normally. Because the hail was so late, the vine shoots were already mature, woody and without deep wounds. Therefore, there will be no major problems with the pruning next year.
The harvest started a week later than in previous years. Between 9 September and 6 October, we harvested the crop without any problems on typical, beautiful sunny days with cold nights. The hail loss was 30%. During the harvest, we carefully selected well-ripened, healthy grapes and obtained an excellent base for all varieties of 2020 wines.
2019
This winter, especially February, was characterised by above-average temperatures without snow. During this time, the most important task in the vineyards is pruning. The latter was particularly difficult in vineyards where we experienced strong hail in the past year, as the offshoots were heavily damaged.
Up to the spring, there was a great lack of rainfall, and the moisture content of the soil was insufficient. In April and May, the temperatures cooled down, and growth slowed down as well. The flowering started on 7 June, which is a week or two later than in the past, warmer years. Throughout the years, this has been the usual time of flowering in our area. Due to the warm weather, the flowering took place quickly, and the heavy rainfall at the beginning of the summer significantly strengthened growth. August was dry and hot, and during cold nights the ripening was expedited.
The harvest started on 10 September. The nice weather allowed it to be held without any problems. The quantity and quality of the crop were optimal.
The 2019 Vintage was completed without adverse weather events. This year was a bit cooler than a few years before, but just right for a typical, good vintage of the Štajerska Region: ripe grapes with nice acidity and intense aroma in all varieties.
2018
The beginning of the year was warm but February welcomed us with a true winter, with a lot of snow and constant temperatures below 0oC. The coldest was at the end of February and in the first days of March, when we measured -13oC in vineyards and -22oC in the valleys. This winter frost was a huge threat as the vine was partially awake already in January, but there was no damage to speak of.
Winter persisted until the end of March, then it suddenly warmed up. Due to the abundance of moisture and above-average temperatures growth started early. Many rainy days, warm weather and intensive growth have caused a strong phenomenon of downy mildew. Flowering started on 23rd May. It was happening in nice weather but it ended all too quickly.
June was hot, humid, with a lot of moisture. Storms began to appear. Earlier, more frequently and more intense than usual. On 8 June a storm came along with the first hail and caused visible damage on the vineyards in Ivanjkovci and Brebrovnik. Four days later there was an even stronger wind and hailstorm in the same two areas, which caused the vineyards big yield losses. Due to the strong winds, leaves and buds were damaged. The vine needed 3 weeks to recover. Vineyards in other areas did not suffer any damage.
Summer was free of storms, not too hot, the ripening of the grapes was nice and fast. We started harvesting on 6 September due to construction delays in the new cellar, early on the date, but high time according to the maturity of the grapes. We had to hurry. The sunny and moderately warm September enabled good ripening of the grapes and a smooth course of harvesting allowed us to finish on 25 September. The grapes were nice, healthy and mature. The first vintage in the new cellar is excellent, we produced wines with emphasized variety and a very rich flavour.
2017
January was very cold. The temperatures were well below zero, some days below -12°C, and in the lower lying vineyards even a few degrees cooler, bordering on winter frost. This was followed by an exceptionally warm February and March, so the budding started early. In mid-April, when the buds were already developed, it got colder again. The ingress of cold air caused a spring frost on 21 April. The temperatures between 5am and 6am were below -1.0°C. In individual micro-locations – the lower, closed, western terrains – cold air stayed longer and these vineyards suffered damage. Especially the varieties which bud early and whose buds were already more developed. The Yellow Muscat lost 60% of the buds and the Furmint 20%. Other varieties did not suffer any greater damage.
Spring continued with warm weather and the flowering started as early as on 30 May. In summer, the weather was exceptionally warm and dry. On 12 June, we barely avoided hail, which fell only a few 100 metres away from our vineyards in Ivanjkovci, Radomerje and Jeruzalem. The hot, dry summer promoted the ripening of grapes and we started the harvesting on 30 August.
The start of the harvest was excellent, while in the second half of September the grapes were attacked by botrytis due to the fast ripening and the numerous rainy days. Since we started the harvest at the right time, we harvested most of the grapes in optimal condition. We were already finished on 28 September. We suffered crop losses due to botrytis in the Riesling and Furmint.
That year we were threatened by all the possible natural disasters. Luckily, we avoided the winter frost and survived the spring frost, hail, summer heat and September rain without any serious consequences. We produced mature, healthy grapes and got a great vintage with very rich wines.
2016
The cold January, when temperatures were most of the time below zero, was followed by an above-average warm February, March and April. Bud bursting started a bit earlier, which brings always along the risk of spring frost.
By the end of April, when the offshoot already developed 4-5 leaves, the climate experienced a sharp cool down. As of 26th April the temperatures have fallen below zero on lower areas, in valleys they were recorded up to -4oC. In addition, 10 cm of snow has fallen the day after. What followed were three days of great uncertainty. Some more snow, a bit low temperatures and we could have lost the entire harvest.
The vines recovered after a few days and the growth continued in its normal pace. The blooming started on 2nd June and progressed without any problems. The vineyards in Ivanjkovci and Jeruzalem were hit by hail on 6th July but the grapes remained unharmed. The summer was relatively cold and the ripening was slowed down.
The end of August experienced a sunny and dry weather and the harvest started on 9th September. Due to fine weather no major problems occurred and the harvest ended on 6th October with the Furmint vineyard in Jeruzalem.
Vintage 2016 was truly dramatic. We have survived the spring frost and hail without major consequences and produced grapes that fully meet our high-set measures.
2015
Winter was warm. In January there were some days with an average temperature above 8°C, which in theory is enough to trigger the start of vegetation. February was colder but there were no extreme low temperatures.
April grew warm rapidly and budburst soon started. However, the weather remained dry and cooled down thus slowing the process down again. Flowering started on May 31th, a few days earlier than the long-term average. During flowering, the weather remained fine; flowering ended in just ten days for all varieties.
Summer was hot with enough rainfall. On August 16th, a brief hail storm in Jeruzalem village scared us. Due to their bigger grape size, only the Furmint grapes showeda small amount of damage. The affected berries dried out later thanks to hot days, dry weather and wind. This weather pattern accelerated ripening which meant that on southern sites harvest had to be done earlier than expected.
Harvest started on September the 2nd. The weather during the harvest was fine and very warm. The grapes were perfectly healthy and ripe. There were some rainy days at the end of September which interrupted the harvesting but the majority of the grapes were already in by then. The harvest ended in the first days of October. Shortly after our last day of harvest the weather quickly started to become cold and rainy for the rest of the month.
Thanks to the right harvest timing our fruit retained an excellent natural balance of acidity and aromatics. Because of our care to keep crop levels correct, the 2015 vintage wines have good, rich concentration and flavour.
2014
Most of the winter weather was mild and without snow. At the end of January freezing rain paralyzed whole of Slovenia for 10 days, luckily with no serious damage in our vineyards.
Warm spring weather followed and budburst was early. Flowering started on 27th May with some rainy periods. Summer months were unusually cold and rainy with July and August recording rainfalls well above average. Dry and windy weather was expected for late summer but rainfall during September was recorded at 212 mm.
We started harvest on 17th September. Picking required a lot of patience and precision. We had to train our team of grape pickers to select only the ripe and healthy fruit.
The quality of grapes, which came to the winery, was excellent, though the yield loss was unfortunately huge: between 40% and 70 %. As a result of cold and prolonged ripening time, the varietal expression and flavour of our 2014 wines are beautiful.
2013
The winter was quite long with much rain. January and February were hit by snowfalls of even up to 80 cm and the cold weather continued until the end of March. Melting snow in spring caused flooding in valleys, whereas those vineyards where the soil is heavier, numerous landslides occurred that swept away almost entire vineyards. Our vineyards, however, are located on lighter sandy soil, apart from the vineyard in Brebrovnik which consists of mostly clay soil.
The excessive soil moisture and hasty warming contributed to good bursting of buds and rich growth. The weather at the end of May worsened with morning temperatures falling below 10°C which nearly halted the growth. The blossoming started immediately after the warming or around June 7, which is a few days earlier from the recorded average in previous years, and completed in twelve days. The summer was marked by numerous exceptionally hot periods; 38°C were recorded on 8th August. The growth was lush with grapes developing very quickly and the ripening beginning quite early. The period from blossoming until ripening was significantly shorter from the usual time periods. The weather cooled down at the end of August bringing quite a number of rainy days.
The September, as well, was cooler from the average which slowed down the process of ripening. We had to hurry up with the harvest in order to prevent fruit-rotting. We started the harvest with Sauvignon blanc vineyards on 8th September and finished with Furmint vineyards on 3rd October. We experienced several rainy periods but still found some sunny days for the harvesting. Although we were deprived of a longer sunny and dry period, we were still glad of having some cool weather that helped us to preserve the varietal aromas during the harvest. In terms of volume, the produce was slightly below the projections.
Vintage 2013 is characterized by a long and cold winter with abundant snow, a changeable spring, and a summer whose first part was very hot while the second part was marked by excessively rainy and cool weather. Despite the lack of sun during harvesting, we can boast of quality grapes that revealed excellent varietal aromas.
2012
Year started with warm January and very cold February. The coldest day was the 8th of February with -15°C. Due to very little precipitation during the winter there was a drought danger at the end of March. Bud growth started in the first days of April, but in the low land there was -1,6°C on 9th of April and some of Muskateller, Chardonnay and Furmint buds were damaged by the frost. Flowering started on 25th of May; same as last year and a week earlier than average. The summer was the hottest in the last years. We had very little precipitation but luckily in the right time, if the vineyard had balanced growth. The hottest day was August the 24th with 36°C.
The harvest started on 3rd of September. Because all varieties were ripe at once we had to speed up with harvest. The harvest ended on the last summer day the 21st of September, which never happened before. This was 3-4 weeks earlier than average.
During the harvest the grapes were in perfect condition, sugar levels high and surprisingly varietal characteristics preserved.
Vintage 2012 was very close to winter frost, very close to spring frost and spring drought. It was one of the hottest in the summer and the harvest finished before autumn started. Because of the balanced growth of the vines and good planning of the harvest we successfully overcome all the weather difficulties. The crop was 10% lower than expected but of excellent quality.
2011
We experienced a moderate winter, however, it was long-lasting. The low temperatures lasted all the way to the end of March. This was followed by a sudden and considerable rise in temperature that accelerated the budding. We were concerned about the occasional spring cool spells. In the beginning of May, when the buds were already well-developed, the temperatures dropped to 2°C, and there was some frost in the valleys and low-lying terrains. The vineyards were not affected.
Despite the cool spells, flowering started early (May 25th) and continued in the good weather without any problems. There was not much rain and we began to experience a water shortage by the end of June. The dry and hot weather continued, with growth almost stopping in the middle of summer. Fortunately, enough rain fell at the end of July to ensure the uninterrupted growth of the grapes. August and September were dry and hotter than usual, which sped up the ripening process.
For this reason we lost no time with harvesting. We started on September 7th with the Sauvignon, finishing on October 4th with the Furmint. Weather was favourable the entire time – sunny and with no rain. The temperatures were high and we had to be very careful to transport the grapes so that they were undamaged and cool.
Despite the high temperatures during the harvest, we were able to preserve the varietal characteristics. The grapes were very ripe with an above-average sugar content. We produced somewhat more than we had anticipated.
2010
The first half of a quite moderate winter was followed by an unusually warm February. In March, however, the winter showed its teeth again and the cold weather lasted until the end of April. Consequently, the vegetation began later and the flowering started on the 4th of June. The flowering period was accompanied by nice weather.
The months of May and June recorded many rainy days which resulted in strong growth. The summer slowly commenced and proved to be quite difficult; it was marked by much rain and a number of hot days which resulted in high humidity, thus providing perfect conditions for the powdery mildew. The month of August was not extremely warm and hot, so we waited for the late summer and the dry and windy days. This type of weather is typical for our area and usually continues throughout the early September. But, there were only few such days and we had to put up with a rather cold, humid and rainy weather up until the start of harvest.
The ripening of grapes was very slow. This is not necessary bad at all and it can produce pretty aromas but can bring problems of under ripeness also. The harvest of unripe grapes was not an option hence we have decided to wait as long as it would be necessary for keeping the quality. Nonetheless, the loss of crop was quite big and a heavy blow for us.
With starting the harvest on the 23rd of September, we have more or less remained within the standard date and time but a great amount of grapes was still not ready to be picked. The unstable, cold and humid weather caused uneven ripening, as well as the Botrytis. At one stage of the harvest, the St Martin’s grapes had the ultimate look which on the other hand would be fatal for the wine quality at a later stage. The first selection of grapes in the vineyard was carried out with utmost care as well as the second selection at the sorting table prior to the destemming process. Great efforts were put forth and we have succeeded in providing the required quality irrespective of the major loss of crop (40 to 70%). We have invested twice as much time in the harvest as in previous years.
Vintage 2010 proved to be the most difficult vintage so far. We were forced to sacrifice a great amount of grapes as well as working hours. Notwithstanding, we are convinced to have made the right decision. One good thing about this harvest was certainly the fact that all grapes delivered to the cellar were naturally cold. The wine of 2010 boasts of great purity, good grape ripeness, rich and varied aromatic character, firm structure and – last but not least – good balance.
After all ups and downs a slow grape ripening, low harvest daily temperatures and good grape selection during the harvest could be a winning combination of vintage 2010 charming wines.
2009
Cold winter weather with daily temperatures around 5°C lasted till end of April.
From moderate spring temperatures we jumped into warm-hot May weather with daily temperatures above 25°C. Vegetation in the vineyard started very intensive. Flowering began on 22nd of May. This is one week earlier than average. Immediately after flowering a period of cold and rainy weather started. At the beginning of this period we suffered two serious hail storms. Luckily apart from a few local vineyards, ours weren’t damaged seriously.
We had very warm, dry and sunny August and beginning of September. Ripening of the grapes was very fast. Due to hail damages and cold rainy weather during flowering time the crop was lower 20 – 40%.
The grapes at the harvest were of very good health condition and of very good aroma concentration.
2008
The first three months were warmer than average. We began to think we would have another warmer vintage with an early harvest as we did in 2000 and 2003. Spring then turned cold and pushed back the 2008 harvest dates to give us more typical timing and temperature conditions. The Spring rain provided enough water for the vines to have good growing conditions. Flowering started several days earlier than average but cold weather with some rainy days interrupted and dragged out this vital period. Many more rainy days followed over the Summer months, especially in July. August and September failed to produce their usual long hot, dry periods. Instead we lived with a serious threat of rain and hail storms right up to harvest time. There were at least 4 hail storms in 45 days and we were all feeling increasingly nervous and worried. However, our vineyards are spread over 15 different sites in a 20km wide circle. This is complicated in term of cultivation but it always proves to be good in terms of hail damage. It is very unlikely that hail will destroy the whole region. Unfortunately, we did lose 50 % of the crop in one of our vineyards. The rest suffered little or no damages. The harvest started on 13th of September. We began with low yield old vines Sauvignon blanc on the Mali Kog slopes as they ripen one week earlier than the main Sauvignon crop. The vintage really got underway in the last ten days of September and we then did not stop until the 26th of October. The weather during the harvest of Sauvignon blanc and Pinot gris was cold and dry. The second half of October continued dry and sunny with daily temperatures between 15-20°C which was good for later ripening grapes including Sipon/Furmint and Riesling. Although the weather throughout the growing year 2008 was colder and wetter than average and marked with frequent hail storms, good vineyard management, no water stress and moderate temperatures during ripening period followed by a largely dry harvest period preserved the natural cool climate varietal aromas. The new wines are therefore looking very fresh and pleasant.
The vintage was slightly colder than average. There were many hail storms – luckily not lethal for us. Careful work in the vineyard, sufficient water supply in the soil and moderate temperatures during ripening seson, followed by dry windy autumn, created and preserved plentiful natural varietal cool climate aromas in the grapes. Wines tastes threfore fresh and pleasant.
2007
This vintage shall always have a special meaning as it saw the birth of Verus. Each sort of wine that we produce is like a new child born and hence a significant member of our family. It was a mild winter with snow falling not before the year-end and providing sufficient amount of water for the soil.
Months that followed were warm and dry above average. The blossoming of the vine started on 18th May or three weeks earlier than usual. It was a hot and dry summer. The second half of the August turned quite cool and the early planned harvest was accordingly postponed.
Notwithstanding, the harvest started »only« 10 days earlier than usual. The autumn was nice and warm with cool nights.
Grapes were healthy and ripened well; small 12 kg perforated cases were used during the harvest. The processing was quick, without airing and with greatly reduced mechanical charge on the grapes and must.