JIL

JIL is Milan Nestarec’s Blaufränkisch from old vines rooted in heavy blue clay, the soil that gives the wine its name: jíl means clay in Czech. This clay holds water well and helps shape a wine with a clear backbone, fresh acidity and the ability to develop over time.

The grapes come from the Jung vineyard near Moravský Žižkov, a place Milan had wanted to work with for years because of the character of its Frankovka. Compared with nearby areas, this expression is rich but not heavy, with a lighter, spicier side and no jammy feeling.

The wine is made with a slow, patient approach: hand-harvested grapes, four weeks on skins in open vats, native yeast fermentation, only free-run juice, and ageing in a large Stockinger oak foudre. It is bottled without fining or filtration. JIL may feel reserved at first, but it rewards time in the glass.