Briško Zlato

DRY AMBER WINE WINE MAKER: Jean Michel Morel (KABAJ)  VINTAGE: 2011 LOCATION: Goriška Brda VINEYARD (HA): KABAJ plots (3 locations) ASPECT: mixed aspects ALTITUDE: 150-250m SOIL COMPOSITION: marl, Flysch PREVAILING CLIMATE: mixed Mediterranean and Alpine FARMING: practicing organic GRAPE COMPOSITION: Pinot Blanc HARVEST: Early October MACERATION: destemmed fruit, 3 months  FERMENTATION: Spontaneous, in qvevri AGING: vinification in qvevri, 2+ year in used French Oak FINING & FILTRATION: none BOTTLED: Spring of 2013 BOTTLES PRODUCED: 6,000 

My sister Holley has lived in Goriška Brda, Slovenia for the past 6 years. She is married to Primoz Benža the chef at KABAJ and is the photographer behind the Briško Zlato, 'Golden Hills' label. This is a special bottling from the KABAJ cellar that was only made once.  The consistancy of the KABAJ wines is a result of selection and experiment. Every year there are experiments that don’t end up being bottled under the regular KABAJ labels. Sometimes these experiments are very much to our taste. Especially those long macerated aged examples. Like Briško Zlato.  The importance of Brda wine, (wine from Goriška Brda) has historically been attributed to the longevity of the wines, especially white. It is impossible to know what exactly people were drinking in the past but considering that this wine is grapes alone, aged in qvevri then wood without the addition of sulfur, and is 15 years, Briško Zlato may be similar to the oxidative wines they celebrated.  Brilliant gold in the glass, it has a perfume of cultured butter, baking spice and hot slate. It is unctuous and concentrated but not alcoholic or sweet. It is a wine that deserves to be cooked to and focused on as it will show many facets quickly due to its elegance and age.