Love at first sip. That is what we felt when we first encountered Kristina's wines. Because Kristina makes wines with a capital W. Elegance, balance, texture, expressive, terroir-driven: Kristina's wines have it all.
Kristina Mervic is the 4th generation winemaker on the estate, and the first female. She herself says she is a wine lover first and foremost, a winemaker second. However, we consider her to be one of the best winemakers we have come to know in recent years. She makes wine to make those special moments with friends & family even more beautiful. And she does this without compromise.
Winemaking
As with every good winemaker, Kristina knows that good wine starts with a healthy vineyard. The 3.5Ha vineyard she owns is therefore treated with the utmost care and respect for nature. Everything according to biodynamic principles. Very low yields then ensure concentration and depth in the grape material.
For the white wines, short macerations of 3-14 days are used. For the red wines, long macerations of up to 60 days are chosen. Of course, there is spontaneous fermentation; no additives are added. After fermentation, the wines mature in oak barrels for one to two years. After this maturation, there is a bottle maturation of at least one year; but often much longer, before the wines are marketed.
The Vineyards
The vineyards of JNK are located in the village of Sempas. Officially in the Vipava appellation, but in the far north of it, against the better known Goriska Brda appellation. The soil consists of Opoka (Ponca), alternating with layers of clay. A limestone soil, formed by a sea that disappeared millions of years ago. Hence the shells on the labels.
The vineyards are located at an altitude of 100 to 350 meters above sea level. With a slope of 30-45%, they are quite steep; hence the terraced layout. They are all oriented to the South and Southeast. And it is precisely in this microclimate that the cold winds from the Alps mix with warmer winds from the Adriatic Sea.