Lastar Winery is located at the heart of winebearing Levač (Serbia) in the Sekurič village area, tucked between the mighty Juhor in the east and majestic Gledić Mountains in the west. These two peaks provide a unique microclimate environment that produced a multiple award winning Chardonnay and, above all, the crown jewel of the winery, Pinot Noir which has been, in only a year’s time, adorned with 4 international medals from major world winery competitions.
Without exception, Lastar winery wines offer the power and the richness of the Levač wine region in every glass. Vineyards, sunlight and shielded by mountains, give strength and the constant impression of reality in the open space. Once traversed by the main route of the Balkans, Carigradski drum, today the philosophy of Lastar spreads through the region.
Somewhat cooler climate benefits primarily two varieties (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) which have, in Levač, found something they otherwise only find at their home, the Burgundy. This similarity with the warmer parts of Burgundy consists primarily in the parameters that determine the provenance to a specific viticultural zone. Aside from these two varieties, in the vineyards of Lastar Winery, we find Tamjanika (local grape variety), Sauvignon blanc, Viognier, Merlot and Cabernet franc. All seeding materials have been imported from France and are a result of a collaboration of Lastar Winery, eminent local pedologists and those from the renowned Montpellier Institute. Favoring tradition and quality, aside from young plantations, Lastar vinery also owns old vineyards (Pinot noir and Riesling) established in 1976.
Hilly terrain and tame nature gave us excellent conditions for growing grapevine.
Lastar Winery vineyards spread across sun-kissed southern slopes of Gledić Mountains 300-330m above sea level. Lastar presently has 26 ha of plantations, with the intent to expand in the near future. Land in this area belongs to the Vertisol group, a soil of somewhat heavier mechanical composition that contains plenty of clay minerals and, in certain parts of the locality, we find soil containing layers with a higher concentration of finer and larger grain sand which, combined with different seedling beds, provides excellent conditions for producing highest quality grapes and wine.
Lastar Winery aims to produce high quality wine.
For best results, They employ reduction and strict control of the yield through quantity as well as quality. They try to maintain low yield which demands hard manual work in order to go through the necessary processes (pruning, weeding, defoliation, thinning of the clusters and finally a quality harvest) in a timely manner.
Also, in order to prevent destruction of the yield, with the help of a meteorological station installed in the vineyard, They closely follow weather parameters as well as the possibility of diseases and grapevine pests.
Recently, they have joined Asia Import Challenge 2019 and their wines won a gold medal and a silver medal. Here is the list of wines that won the competition:
PINOT NOIR
Awarded Gold Medal by Asia Import News
Wine region: Levač wine region
Type content: Pinot noir
Vinification: 100% french barrique
Alcohol: 14%
If we had to describe Pinot noir Lastar in a word, that word would certainly be elegance. We don’t want to give up on typical characteristics of this type so we do our best, however strange it may sound, for the Pinot noir to be truly Pinot noir. Aromas of strawberry, cherry, forest floor, fresh meat and fungus are noticeable, as well as a bright ruby color with shades of onion skins. On the palate there is a pronounced elegance and an excellent balance of tanines and acids. Like Chardonnay, Pinot noir Lastar stylistically has a lot of similarities with Burgundy. Despite all the difficulties in the vineyard, which are fully to be expected with this demanding type, we’ve succeeded in producing a Pinot noir which has become a marker of quality in Serbia thanks to knowledge, technology and attention to detail. Pinot noir 2015 was phenolically less ripe, so it took longer for the evolution of phenols, in barrique as well as the bottle, and the 2016 harvest bore a phenolically riper Pinot noir, a tad fuller and more extractive.
CHARDONNAY
Awarded Silver Medal by Asia Import News
Wine region: Levač wine region
Type content: Chardonnay
Vinification: 65% inox, 35% hrast
Alcohol: 13%
Chardonnay Lastar is a true breath of fresh air on the market because of its stylistic similarities with Burgundy, which make it unique. Soil analysis and climate characteristics of the Levač wine region point to the fact that Burgundy and Levač truly have a similar terroir. Due to cooler climate characteristics, our Chardonnay always has dominant primary aromas from the grapes. Those are aromas of pear, apple, lemon and pineapple completed by the soft character of wood which adds complexity, but is never at the forefront. Chardonnay Lastar for the most part sits in inox dishes, while a smaller portion (25-40%) sits in tonno barrels (500 liters) of the highest quality oak. Thanks to the optimal conditions during the entire 2015, wine had the complexity and the aromatic maturity which is why there was no need for a strong influence of wood, while 2016 was colder and more rainy so the wine took longer to mature. Also, the acid content was higher and that’s why around 40% of the wine sat in tonno barrels.
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