Ribola Gialla, Medana, Gorsika, Slovenia

Tasting like Elizabeth Cotten’s voice when she sang I’m Going Away, simultaneously pure human fire & tenderness. Fourth generation winemaker Aleks and his wife Simona farm 6 hectares of organic and biodynamic vines alongside their olive trees, sheep and pigs. The organic grapes come from the hills of Medana, where we find clay-limestone soils rich in mineral salts and marine fossils locally called ‘ponka’ – giving these wine their unmistakable minerailty. Grapes are destemmed, crushed and macerated on skins for 10 days to add supportive tannins. Following the alcoholic and malolactic (think round n’ creamy) fermentations in concrete tanks, the wine matures on lees for 12 months in 500 litre acacia barrels to add body, and is then moved to 2000 litre acacia barrels for an additional 24 months to integrate and come together as this intense and dynamic delight. Enveloping broom shrub florality, walnut butter biscuits, ginger honey, perfectly ripe persimmon, tobacco stomped in earth, apricot & chalky minerality. An autumnal delight, drink as an aperitif or enjoy with fried snapper, aubergine & roasted potatoes.