De Baguer Merlot - Cabernet Franc
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2032
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted lamb, venison stew, aged hard cheeses
✨ Technical Specifications
The De Baguer Merlot - Cabernet Franc is the flagship red cuvée of Klet Brda, named in honor of Count Silverio de Baguer, a Spanish diplomat who acquired the Dobrovo Castle in 1872 and laid the foundations for modern, quality-driven viticulture in the region. Grown on the steep, terraced slopes of Goriška Brda, the vines thrive in 'opoka' soil—a unique local flysch composed of layered marl and sandstone that imparts a distinct mineral complexity and structure to the wine. This premium blend undergoes meticulous hand-harvesting followed by extended maceration and aging in French oak barriques. The result is a sophisticated, deeply colored red that seamlessly marries the plush, dark fruit characteristics of Merlot with the elegant structure, herbal nuances, and refined tannins of Cabernet Franc.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1957 in the western reaches of Slovenia's Primorska region, Klet Brda is a premier cooperative winery owned by approximately 400 local winegrowing families. The vineyards cascade across the steep, terraced hills of Goriška Brda beneath Dobrovo Castle, positioned between the snowcapped Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea. This sub-Mediterranean pocket is defined by flysch soils—locally known as opoka, composed of layered marl and sandstone—imparting signature minerality and tensile structure to the fruit. Viticulture follows strict sustainable guidelines, requiring meticulous hand-tending across hundreds of micro-parcels. Chief oenologist Darinko Ribolica and winemaker Luka Ribolica vinify in subterranean cellars, seamlessly combining stainless steel with neutral and large Slovenian oak. Klet Brda champions indigenous and benchmark regional white expressions, notably Rebula (Ribolla Gialla), Sivi Pinot (Pinot Grigio), and Sauvignonasse, showcased through the minerally vibrant Family Vineyards line, skin-macerated Krasno Orange, and the oak-matured Bagueri prestige range.
🍇 Grapes
Merlot, Cabernet Franc
🍷 ABV
13.5-14.5%