Simčič family history starts in the 19th century, when the great-great-grandfather Jožef, in 1860, bought a farm in Medana, just 1 km from the Italo-Slovenian border. The estate, which has been scrupulously passed from father to son for an abundant century, has been managed since 1988 by Marjan, the fifth generation of Simčič family, with his wife Valerija. Marjan immediately made it clear which were to be the directions along which to develop the company and, as soon as he got the guide, engaged in the construction of a new underground cellar in Medana, designed to produce wines of higher quality than those previously produced. Today the company covers 22 hectares of vineyards owned (the oldest are about 60 years old), located in the Goriška Brda (Collio Goriziano) between Italy and Slovenia.
In the vineyard the approach remained traditional: mechanical interventions are all carried out manually and the complete refuse of artificial fertilizers and insecticides helps the maintenance of living organisms natural cycle. Even in the cellar the approach is traditional and, thanks to the resourcefulness of the current owner, the range includes for about 15 years the line “Opoka”, the top quality of production.
This Merlot vintage is the first to be produced and its grapes come from a selection of the best bunches from “Rusic, Plešivo” south/southeast facing vineyard, lying on a soil rich of the marly limestone skeleton (=Opoka), located between the Collio Sloveno and the Italian at 150-250 meters above sea level. The harvest of the grapes from the oldest vines, in boxes of 15 kg is followed by the crushing of the bunches in full maturity, the fermentation without stalk in steel tanks, for 28 days, and the aging in barriques (at least 45 months) and bottle (at least 6 final months).
The 2006 vintage, despite its age, has a dark ruby red color that shows no signs of subsidence, with a purple nail. The scent of ripe plums and dark berries is followed by leather, tobacco, lacquered wood, dark chocolate, black pepper, roasted peppers and blood brushstrokes. The taste is slightly spicy and in the mouth the important structure is accompanied by a pleasing balsamic freshness and a blood salivation, that helps to streamline the sip, which ends with long, fresh and enveloping finish.
Rating: 92/100
Want to find out what I can do for you? Click here!
