Rado Refosk

The Facts

Producer: Rado Kocijančič
Region: Brda
Country: Slovenia
Grapes: Refošk
Price: $18

In Brief

The Wine

From 100% Refosk, this wine is dark violet in the glass. Though the color and the meaty nose suggest a more powerful wine, it’s all finesse on the palate, with lively wild berry fruit, fresh herbs, and a fine mineral finish. Firm tannins give structure without overwhelming the ultimate elegance of the expression. Hayes suggests a pairing with a simple meal of grilled steak and a spring green salad.

The Story

We might not consider Slovenia prime real estate for winemaking, but the country’s unique microclimate and geological history beg for further exploration. The eastern Mediterranean nation is positioned between the Adriatic and the Alps, meaning it’s the ideal climate for producing ripe grapes with fresh acidity. Additionally, much of the landscape is a former marine bed, lending incredible mineral complexity to the wines grown there. The Kocijancic estate is only around 18 acres, but it dates back to the 15th century, and winemaking in the Brda region goes back even farther, to somewhere between the 4th and 5th centuries B.C. This little-known region has since been compared the famous Côte d’Or zone in Burgundy, and the elegance to be found in the expression of the local Refosk grape drives that observation home.