In this area of the world, it is considered the traditional manner to make skin-contact wines and not only that, but to bottle them essentially sans soufre. We’re in the Goriška Brda of western Slovenia, just the otherside of the border there stretch the vineyards of the Italian collio, home to the baroque, cloak and dagger, chiaroscuro masterpieces of Radikon, Princic, Gravner & the like. Though perhaps less internationally spotlit, the Goriška Brda is a mere stone’s throw from these estates, which is to say, this is basically the exact same terroir. Steep, rugged slopes of marl-rich soil with old vines and the influence of both continental Europe and the northern tip of the Adriatic. 5-10 hectares of vines planted to local specialties Rebula, Malvazija, & Sivi Pinot run astride parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot which have long histories in this part of the world. The current winemaker of the estate is Jure Stekar – the son of Roman Stekar who converted the winery from a grape-growing-and-selling project to a full Domaine, producing their own wine – puts all of the minutiae & terminology, mercifully, to bed when he states the vision of Stekar wines: “…above all we try to pursue our goal that is to produce genuine wine that inspires emotions, tells about our land and about us.”

Vinification & Tasting: 100% Pinot Gris. After a manual harvest, the grapes are destemmed and macerated on the skins for 30 days in stainless steel. The wine is racked into old French oak and aged for 11 months. Unfined, unfiltered, no SO2. Dark, burnt orange mixed with a faint pink in hue, citrus peel, crushed flowers, zingy acidity, crunchy tannin.