This is our Slobodné Vinárstvo (‘free winery’) mixed pack. A delicious introduction to one of Slovakia’s most interesting producers. It includes one or two bottles of three wildly different expressions of skin contact wine.

3 pack for $145 , 6 pack for $280

2019 Traja Boxeri Sauvignon Blanc- with a few days on the skins, this Sauvignon Blanc is pears meet herbs meet salty green pomelo rinds & cardamon. Also jalapeno? So delicious. Forget what you know about Sauvignon Blanc, this is like running through a meadow in spring. No fining, no filtration. Drinks like a textural white.

Slobodne, ‘Supermajer’ 100% Veltlini (AKA Gruner Veltliner), Trnava, Slovakia Veltlini is the Slovakian moniker for our favourite superfresh white grape Gruner Veltliner— in this case Gruner is experiencing a legendary glow up after a 2 week period of skin contact maceration & an additional 2 years of aging in oak & acacia barrel. At first sniff, you will be graced with a nose so vehemently mineral it is like standing underneath a waterfall on a bed of riverstones. Things warm up by the time you get to the palate: sun-baked herb garden, sandalwood oil, the subtle patchouli afterglow of a terracotta incense burner. This is a deep, idiosyncratic skin contact that takes itself mad seriously, the wine equivalent of your friend who ALWAYS promises they’re coming to the group hang this week but then last minute bails so they can sit at home and watch the Criterion Channel. This wine performs to the best of its ability when sipped alongside half the inventory of your local bougie cheese shop.

Slobodne ‘Eggstasy II’, 100% Riesling, Trnava, Slovakia Yes, eggs rule, in all their myriad forms, but in the case of Eggstasy II we are talking about the ovoid concrete vessel this wine was aged in as opposed to your beloved brunch staple. After 10 days of skin-contact maceration & 6 months of élevage in ovoid tank, this wine is oak-aged for an additional 18 months. The interplay between oak-aging and the aromatic Riesling grape is thrilling and almost combative, like the fabled Britney Spears vs. Justin Timberlake dance-off. Spicy & juicy on the nose, with a glycolic, suntanned mouthfeel & luscious dewy fruit: cushiony blushing white peach, Melona bar honeydew, satiny cantaloupe in heaven. Acidity is brisk, vervy and iced tea-esque. An exquisitely sensual delight, pair with equally luxe delicacies such as uni, foie and lobster.

PRODUCTION & DRINKING

Agnes Lovecka, her sister Katarina Kuropkova, and her husband, Miso Kuropka along with their parents, reclaimed their family’s estate, Majer Zemianske Sady, back in 1997 and have been making wine as Slobodné Vinárstvo since 2010. This land had been farmed by the family since the early 20th century until it was put under state control during communist rule and abandoned. The sisters’ grandparents grew up on this land, participating in the Slovak uprising against the encroaching Nazis during WWII. The remaining family then moved to Prague, where Agnes and Katarina’s mother hid the deed to the land behind a wall, underneath a staircase, remaining there until 1989. Despite nice careers and comfortable city lives in Bratisklava, the sisters eventually felt the pull of the land and its connection to their family heritage. This would be both a new adventure for the sisters and a new chapter in the family’s history.