At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Region
- Moravia, Czech Republic
- Base
- Velké Bílovice
- Vineyards
- 24 hectares of estate owned vineyards
- Main grape varieties
- Grüner Veltliner, Neuburger, Pinot Blanc, Müller Thurgau, Blaufränkisch, Pinot Noir
- Key bottles
- Běl, Okr and WTB
- Defining feature
- Regenerative agriculture and organic certification
The Producer
Milan Nestarec was born into a winemaking family in a winemaking village, with a father who had experience working in a German vine nursery. He is based in Velké Bílovice and runs the estate with his wife Mirka Nestarcová and their family.
The vineyards are farmed regeneratively and exclude herbicides, pesticides, industrial fertilisers and systemic treatments. In the cellar, grapes are harvested by hand, fermented spontaneously with wild yeast, pressed slowly and gently, and bottled without fining or filtration. Reds generally receive gentle maceration, while whites usually receive a small amount of short skin contact.
Place
The vineyards are concentrated around Velké Bílovice and Moravský Žižkov in southern Moravia. The principal soils are loess and clay, with some sandy plots.
WTB narrows this broad setting to Úlehle in Bílovice, a loess vineyard planted with Grüner Veltliner. Its small, thick skinned fruit retains acidity, giving the wine a lush, long shape.
Wines
Běl, Nach and Okr belong to the everyday one litre family. Běl is a white blend based principally on Grüner Veltliner, Welschriesling and Müller Thurgau. It is made without maceration, with gentle pressing and time in tanks. The wine is fruity and approachable, with good acidity and a citrus aroma.
Okr is the amber skin contact counterpart to Běl and Nach. It blends Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and Pálava. The 2024 Okr spends three to five days on skins and stems before free run juice moves to stainless steel and wood. It has restrained tannins, energetic aromatics and only a hint of overt orange wine character. The 2023 Okr has tropical fruit, a crunchy palate and a festive character.
WTB is a single variety Grüner Veltliner from Úlehle in Bílovice and sits in the top White Label tier. These wines come from favoured micro sites and old vines and receive several years of cellar ageing. The 2021 WTB has peach, nectarine, honey blossom and savoury herbs, followed by a tannic texture, vibrant fruit and a long dry finish.
Final Word
Milan Nestarec joins southern Moravian loess, clay and sand with spontaneous cellar work, from everyday one litre bottles to White Label Grüner Veltliner from Úlehle.
Sources
1. https://www.nestarec.cz/ 2. https://www.nestarec.cz/grow 3. https://www.jennyandfrancois.com/wines-2/czech-republic/milan-nestarec/ 4. https://supernaturalwine.ph/blogs/news/meet-the-winemaker-milan-nestarec-from-moravia-czech-republic 5. https://www.nestarec.cz/bel 6. https://www.nestarec.cz/okr 7. https://www.nestarec.cz/wtb 8. https://www.jennyandfrancois.com/wines/czech-republic/milan-nestarec/ 9. https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/84331/milan-nestarec-wtb-2021 10. https://www.saq.com/en/15031281