Kabaj Luisa White Blend 2013

 Country: Slovenia

Region: Goriska Brda

Type: Orange Wine

Grape: Rebula/Zeleni Sauvignon (Tokaj)/White Pinot/Malvazija/Sauvignon Blanc

Kabaj (pronounced kah-BYE) has been producing some of Slovenia’s most prized wines since the early 1990s. The winery is owned by Paris-born Jean Michel Morel, who arrived in Goriška Brda after perfecting his craft at prestigious wine estates in Perpignan, Bordeaux and nearby Friuli, and met Katja Kabaj, whose family has been in the region for generations. After they married, they decided to begin bottling wine from the Kabaj estate instead of selling the grapes.

The Kabaj family cultivates 12 hectares of local vineyards. Farming is organic, with an emphasis on soil biodiversity to create an environment for the vines that is in harmony with the natural flora and fauna. 

Wines are fermented with native yeast and moved according to lunar cycles. Kabaj champions the old ways of winemaking. The whites make up 2/3 of total production. They are unique and balanced. All have some level of skin-contact and are aged in French oak barrels for at least one year. The reds are earthy, bold yet elegant. Kabaj’s wines have become highly sought-after globally, and they have played a pivotal role in putting Slovenia on the wine map.

Spontaneously fermented and aged in kvevri 10 months, racked and blended, aged 1 year in stainless steel. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. This is a rich and complex red with hints of cedar, redcurrant, black cherry and leather.

Manual harvest. 30-day maceration (concrete, stainless steel, wood). Aged 36 months in 225 liter oak barrels (French oak) and an additional 6 months in bottle. A rich and elegant skin-contact wine with aromas and flavors of ripe stone fruits, honey and wildflowers.