KLABJAN

SLOVENIA | ISTRIA

Uros Klabjan cultivates vines in Istria, 20km south of Trieste, on the Slovenian side. The vineyards are located 3 km away from the Adriatic Sea near the Gulf of Trieste at an altitude of 45 to 120 meters above sea level.

Klabjan’s Malvasia and Refosco varieties are planted in a funnel-shaped valley that narrows down towards the Karst hill further away from the sea. The 50 years old vines benefit from a mixture of soils, limestone from the north and marl from the east.

The Mediterranean climate has an intense maritime influence. The Burja (Bora wind) moderates the diurnal temperature range and extends the growing season, which helps the un-grafted vines to achieve optimal ripeness

Due to the organic farming and the natural balance, irrigation is not necessary even during hotter vintages.

Uros applies the same techniques in the cellar and in the vineyards: no intervention. In order to preserve a pure expression of the fruit, the wines ferment spontaneously with a relatively short skin maceration.