Quercus Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2024
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Creamy pasta dishes, grilled sea bass, roasted chicken
✨ Technical Specifications
The Quercus Chardonnay from Klet Brda is a brilliant expression of how international varieties adapt to the unique terroir of Goriška Brda in Primorska, Slovenia. Grown on steep, terraced vineyards carved into 'opoka'—a local soil composed of mineral-rich marl and sandstone—the vines benefit from a dramatic microclimate where cool Alpine winds meet warm Adriatic breezes. The name 'Quercus' is Latin for oak, paying homage to the historic oak forests that dot the regional landscape. Unlike heavily oaked New World Chardonnays, this cuvée is crafted primarily in stainless steel with gentle sur lie aging, preserving the grape's natural freshness, vibrant yellow apple and peach aromas, and a distinct, elegant minerality that reflects its sub-Alpine maritime heritage.
🍾 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
Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
13%