The pinnacle of Slovenian viticulture
The story of Simcic Winery begins several generations ago in the border region of Slovenia and Italy. In 1860, Anton Simcic planted several vineyards there. He made his own wine and sold it in his own wine shops in Medana and Vienna. An inn and hotel also belong to the family heritage. After WWII, the inevitable happened and large parts of the family empire fell into the hands of the communist state. It was not until 1988 that the current winemaker, Marjan, took over the management of the winery. In the years that followed, Marjan did everything she could to make wines of the highest possible quality. To this end, a completely new wine cellar was built in 1997. In 2008, the birth of the Opoka wines followed. Since the launch of these top wines, Marjan Simcic has been regarded worldwide as one of the great winemakers in the world.
The philosophy of the winery
In vino veritas…our wines tell the story of our dedication, family and the region where they come from.
They themselves say about this: we believe in our wines, because we believe in the quality of our grapes. Grapes are grown as naturally as possible. For example, the remains of the pressing of the previous harvest are used as fertilizer. In terms of vinification methods, Simcic believes in old traditional techniques combined with modern knowledge and equipment.
Goriska Brda, the wine region
The wine region lies at the crossroads between the Mediterranean and the Alps. Warm winds from the sea provide a soft and sultry climate. This combined with the millions of years old marl and sandstone soils provides an exceptional terroir. The ancient Romans already recognized the great quality of the wines from this area.
The wines of Marjan Simcic
Marjan divides his wines into three classifications, classic, cru selekcija & opoka. Each of these classifications stands for a different, carefully applied technique.
Brda classic wines
These wines are made from the lower, younger vineyards. They are always mono-varietals based on, among others, ribolla, sauvignonasse, pinot gris, chardonnay,…
Of course, all grapes are picked by hand and carefully selected. This is followed by a temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel. After the alcoholic fermentation, the wines mature for 9 months ‘sur lies’. This maturation ensures a fuller, rounder wine. Despite the fact that the classic wines are the ‘entry-level’ wines of the domain, there is little basic about them. They are all wines that can mature for up to 10 years in the better vintages.
Cru Selection
Are complex wines made from older vineyards. Grapes ripen a bit longer in the vineyard and an even more rigorous selection is made.
The winemaking process is even more ambitious here. Long macerations are applied here (also for white wines), very soft pressings, alcoholic fermentations with grape-own yeasts and very long maturations in oak barrels of different sizes and ages. Resulting in deeply colored, intensely complex & rich wines. These wines only come onto the market after 2 to 4 years of maturation.
Opoka wines
To put it in Marjan's words: these wines are simply the best of the best. They are made from the best parts of the oldest vineyards, from grapes that ripen for a very long time on the vine.
Macerations here last even longer, as does maturation in oak barrels. The result is enormously rich & complex wines, which are drunk at the best tables worldwide