Slovenia, a country with a rich winemaking history in Eastern Europe, is making waves in the world’s fine wine scene.
Geographically bordering some of Europe’s most lustrous winemaking countries including Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Austria, the best wines of Slovenia often come from an area called Goriška Brda, or simply known as Brda, bordering Italy in western Slovenia’s Primorska wine region.
This summer, James tasted a dozen wines from one of the top producers in the region called Simčič. Located in the heart of Goriška Brda, moderated by Mediterranean wind and a cool climate from the Alps, the winery makes a diverse range of wines from sauvignon blanc and chardonnay to pinot grigio and pinot noir, to sauvignonasse, merlot and ribolla gialla, one of James’ favorites.
However, the flagship wines from this small yet modern-styled winery are Opoka wines. Opoka is a typical type of Brda soil, one version of marl. Grapes that were made into Opoka wines are grown in the best parcels in the Grda region and are selected based on soil analysis, often rich in minerals, winemaker Marjan Simčič explains.
During James’ tasting, whites predominately outperformed reds, although a 2012 pinot noir is beautifully done. One of Simčič’s top whites is the 2012 chardonnay Opoka, which “shows all the complexity of top white Burgundy,” as James writes in the tasting note. Another highlight is a sauvignon blanc Opoka 2012. “Chardonnay Opoka and Sauvignon Opoka are the highest level of all Marjan Simčič wines,” admits Marjan.
In terms of vintages, 2012s and 2014s are among the highest rated wines by James. For the year 2012, the weather was very dry with higher-than-average temperature in April, followed by a rainy season from the end May to June. The warm and dry summer from July throughout to August allowed the winery to do some important vineyard management to prepare for the best possible fruit for harvest, Marjan explains.
All the green grapes were removed during veraison period, he says. As a result, “berries were perfectly phenolic ripened with high sugar and extract,” the winemaker continues.
In addition to the two vintages, there are also wines from 2010 and 2011 vintages included in the report. If you happen to come across wines from Simčič, definitely try them out.
– Natalie Wang
Simčič Sauvignon Blanc Goriška Brda Opoka 2012
Simčič Chardonnay Goriška Brda Selekcija 2012
Simčič Chardonnay Goriška Brda Opoka 2012
Simčič Chardonnay Goriška Brda 2014
Simčič Ribolla Gialla Goriška Brda Opoka 2010
Simčič Ribolla Gialla Goriška Brda Selekcija 2012
Simčič Chardonnay Goriška Brda Opoka 2011
Simčič Sauvignon Blanc Goriška Brda Selekcija 2012
Simčič Pinot Noir Goriška Brda 2012
Simčič Sauvignonasse Goriška Brda 2014
Simčič Pinot Grigio Goriška Brda 2014
Simčič Ribolla Gialla Goriška Brda 2014
