Tonight we’ll stop in Brda to visit Klemen Benedetič and taste his expressive Cabernet Sauvignon produced in 2016.

We’ve been acquainted with Klemen for probable decennia now. We’ve always had great chats, and he’s always keen on sharing some fun stories over a glass of his wine. The Benedetič family is known not just for wine but also for their production of cherries. But let’s stick to the topic here. They produce monovarietal wines with classical methods and a blend in the same way. On top of that, you’ll also find oak matured Chardonnay and Merlot under the line Brgalot.

For tonight I’ve chosen the expressive, varietal rendition of his Cabernet Sauvignon. A wine that was produced in the warm vintage of 2016, when vines counted 21 years. Grapes were hand-harvested from the vineyard of Cerovo, at an altitude between 100 and 150 meters above sea level and looked after with low-intervention methods. Part of the grapes was cut and left to passerilé three weeks before picking.

Following destemming and crushing, the pomace macerated for approximately ten days at temperatures between 25 and 28 ° Celsius. It was then gently pressed and racked into stainless vats to ferment and mature for the following year. There it also went partially through malolactic conversion and was finally bottled.

This results in a Cabernet Sauvignon with style. Extractive, deep, ruby red colour with dense texture, quickly stopping in the glass.

Its aromas are intense, of ripe sour cherries, black cherries, wild berries, blueberries, black peppercorns, hints of butter crust reminding us of blueberry pie and notes of dry leaf and even some delicate chocolate as a result of the concentration of dried berries.

The mouthfeel is oily, with lively freshness and minerality. Well supported by tannins that are starting to round up—with an intense taste of a fuller body and pronounced elegance, where fruit flavours repeat, leaving hints of the cherry pit in a lasting aftertaste.

A wine that has the potential to grow for the next seven years as it shows lively freshness and velvety tannins. You can get it for the approximate price of 9 Eur at Koželj.