Klabjan - Refosk Black Label

Uroš Klabjan works 10 hectares of vineyards, ranging in age from twenty to one hundred and thirty years, under the Karst edge near village of Osp, with the help of his brother and father. Malvasia is, of course, the predominant wine, but around 20% is the red king of Istria - Refošk. The soil is calcareous, with areas of marl. Some vineyards are completely grassed over, while others are cut around the vines. The form of cultivation is in principle a single guyot, except in some older vineyards, where the form is actually difficult to name, one could say archaic.

Uroš is certified organic and the vineyards are based on practices that are actually quite close to biodynamics. Over the years, through systematic and hard work, and a wealth of experience in pruning methods, the vineyards have achieved a balance that has led, among other things, to a natural regulation of the yield of each vine. So there are no green harvests. Harvesting does not start until full phenolic ripeness, which usually means a slightly higher sugar and consequently alcohol level, which is not disturbing as it is nicely balanced by the acids and salty minerality.

The black label designates wines based on top-quality grapes from vineyards aged 50 years or more. Depending on the vintage, they mature for two to five years in old barriques and large casks. In vintages when it does not reach the desired quality, even the old vineyard harvest goes into bottles with a white label.