Time to taste another black king from our Istria, we’re returning to Korenika & Moškon to have a look at a selection of Refosco grapes coming from the vineyard Kortinca. That’s also the title this wine is gifted with.

Now, if you follow my blog, you’ve already had the chance to read my notes of their Paderno, a single-vineyard Malvasia Istriana. So if initially we’ve been introduced to the Yin, let’s look at their yang, the black-skinned Refosco, coming from one of the steepest plots, with inclines close to 40 %. We’re at 125 meters above sea level, in a scenery of sandstone and marl. Just imagine how hot it can get here in summer.

Vines load a maximum of 800 grams per plant. They get picked when overripe. It’s one of the last vineyards to be harvested. Bunches are destemmed and transferred into a stainless vinificator, where they macerate at temperatures below 28 ° Celsius for 25 days. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation follow spontaneously.

The mash is gently pressed and transferred into used oak barriques for six years. Matej never uses new barrels, as he feels it could overpower the fruity characteristics of the wine. The idea of ageing Refosco for so long came by accident. There was a barrel of 2005 vintage which he thought was a Cabernet Sauvignon. When bottling time came, he tasted it and was first surprised, as this was not a Cab, then impressed by the elegance, smoothness and softness of the wine and after looking at the cellar book, he decided to adopt such a long barrel-ageing for his Kortinca.

All this effort displays in a refined Refosco with a deep ruby red colour and dense texture.

With intense, luscious aromas of overripe cherries, cranberries, dried chokeberries, dried red flowers, black pepper, cedar, roasted nuts, nutmeg, chocolate, coffee and forest undergrowth.

The taste is soft, with ripe freshness and pleasantly rounded tannins balancing the sumptuous palate with intense flavours, boasting a vigorous body and emphasising elegant and persistent aftertaste.

A wine with the zing that will enchant drinkers, but you can easily keep it stored for another five years to see how it will evolve, trust me, you won’t regret it. The wine sells for 25 Eur at their online store, but you can also get it at Koželj.