Decanter Mediterranean Fine Wine Encounter: Simcic and Slovenia

Last weekend we went along to support Simcic wooing the public with their Slovenian wines at the Decanter Mediterranean Fine Wine Encounter. With the 'What's bubbling in Slovenia' post on JancisRobinson.com hailing Simcic as bucket-list stuff (see below), as well as Decanter themselves calling them one of the top 5 wineries on show on the day to visit, we're not alone in our thoughts that these wines are worth shouting about. James Suckling also recently rated these wines as 95points, and as his favourite Slovenian producer.

Here's a snippet from the article by Chris Boiling on Jancis's website, making particular reference to Slovenia's grape Rebula:

"During my travels around the west of the country, I tasted Rebula in all its guises - from sparkling (Ferdinand) to fresh and dry (Ščurek, Marjan Simčič, Edi Simčič and Zanut), from macerated and orange (Ferdinand, Movia and Marjan Simčič) to lusciously sweet and made from dried grapes (Marjan Simčič and Štokelj). It's a grape that thrives in the mineral-rich opoka soil and complex climate here. This is where the alpine, mediterranean and continental climates ‘shake hands’.

When made in the modern style without skins and in stainless-steel tanks, Rebula produces a very pleasant, simple, clean, fresh wine, with mineral undertones, subtle floral aromas and high acidity. When skin contact is used to replace cultured yeast and sulphur dioxide, it makes a very complex, age-worthy white. Ferdinand's MRR (in which the grapes are macerated for a year!), Movia's Rebula Lunar and Marjan Simčič's Ribolla Selekcija are extreme wines with a deep amber colour, honeyed-fruit flavours, hints of nuttiness, rich minerality and thick texture, but they should be on every wine lover's bucket list."

 

News just in from Simcic is that the winery is currently undergoing a re-vamp, including recent delivery of two concrete eggs, soon to be used for a Chardonnay Rebula blend. Rumour too is that they are also building a swimming pool... we'll be visiting as soon as it's finished!

Here are a few photos of our 'Premium Slovenians': Winemaker and winery owner Marjan Simcic and Ivan Princic ... read more about Simcic here:

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