Quercus Merlot
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled pork chops, classic beef lasagna, or aged Gouda cheese.
✨ Technical Specifications
Named after the Latin word for oak, the Quercus range from Klet Brda pays homage to the ancient oak forests that once blanketed the rolling hills of Goriška Brda. This Merlot is grown on steep, sun-drenched terraced vineyards where the soil is dominated by opoka—a mineral-rich flysch composed of marl and sandstone. The unique microclimate here, caught between the cooling breezes of the Julian Alps and the warm breath of the Adriatic Sea, allows Merlot to ripen beautifully while retaining its vibrant acidity. The wine is crafted in a fresh, modern style, undergoing controlled fermentation in stainless steel followed by brief maturation, resulting in a smooth, fruit-forward red that captures the essence of this Slovenian borderland.
🍾 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
🍷 ABV
13% - 13.5%