Passarowitz 1718 commemorates the historic Passarowitz Treaty of 21st July 1718 which ended the war between the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburg Empire and Venetian Republic. The treaty was signed at Pozarevac (in Voivodina), a town that was called Passarowitz at that time and meant that, for the first time in history, Oltenia was under a civilised 'Germanic' administration.

Between 1714-1718, the Ottoman won many victories against the Venetians, in Greece, but were defeated at Petrovaradin in 1716 by the Habsburg troops led by Prince Eugene of Savoy.

The treaty reflected the ongoing military situation. The Ottoman Empire lost the Banat region of Timisoara, northern Serbia (including Belgrade), northern Bosnia and Oltenia to Austria. The 1718 treaty represented a major event in the history of Oltenia. The Austrian clerks tried, for the first time in history, to introduce a certain rigour in everything that meant local administration in a region that had lived in a rather Oriental fashion during the Ottoman domination.


Passarowitz 1718 embraces both the German and Oltenia regional spirit. It is a powerful, balanced wine, of an extraordinary colour, in which the oak aromas harmonise perfectly with the five varieties of grape. We can find ripe black cherries, blackcurrant, blueberries and red cherries, but also the dark chocolate, cocoa bean and vanilla flavours, typical of oak maturation. In the mouth the wine is full bodied, robust and firm, with sufficient acidity and tannin to suggest excellent ageing potential.

Five important red grape varieties from the Oprisor Cellar have been used for this cuvée: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Dornfelder, each of them bringing something particular to the blend. We have used all five because we wanted to introduce, besides the red varieties typical of the Mehedinti Region (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir), a ‘foreign’ noble varietal to give finesse and a spicy flavour to the wine (Shiraz), as well as a typical German variety (Dornfelder).

Some spots with the best soil and the exposure in the vineyard have been selected where the vineyard management was different consisting in reducing the yield by more severe pruning and fruit thinning down to 4 tones/hectare. Also leaf plugging have been done on the eastern side of the vines in order to let the grapes covered by the soft morning sun. All these leaded to get in the same time the “sugar ripe” when tannins and flavours reached their potential in a higher concentration than normal, as well the colour. Harvested by hand.

The five varieties of the cuvee were fermented separated. Following the vineyard selection, a second selection has been realized in the cellar on the sorting table. Fermentation in stainless steel at 24-28ºC. Skin contact: Cabernet Sauvignon 15 days, Merlot 14 days, Pinot Noir 17 days, Shiraz 12 days, Dornfelder 8 days. Gentile pressed in an opened membrane press performing a pressing cycle 0,2 - 0,6 - 0,8 - 1,1 bar, only one time at each pressure. Matured in French and American oak for 14 months – new and used oak. Blend proportion: 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 30% Shiraz, 18% Pinot Noir, 10% Dornfelder after the last selection of the barrels, resulting 1718 magnum bottles.