COUNTRY :
Croatia
REGION :
Istria
PRODUCTION :
Giorgio Clai
“Our business lies in Krasica, village in “white” Istria, 40 km across the Croatian border from Trieste. It is a family business encompassing 8 hectares of vineyards and 3 hectars of olive trees. Our wine-growing approach respects the nature in its fullest and is inspired by the principles of our grandparents. The geographic and climate situation is particularly propitious: the air from the Ucka mountain and the sea air that goes up the river Mirna meet here and create an ideal microclimate to cultivate vines and olives. Our principal goal is to enhance our terroir. We produce no wine out of international grape varietals alone. Our 6 labels are wines made of native grapes – Malvasia, Refosco and Muscat – or their blend with international varietals.
Our work in the vineyards is all about quality, not quantity. The density of culture system is high (5,700 plants / hectare) and the yields are kept low. The fertilization is minimal and occasional, using only organic and natural manures.
We do not use any systematic treatments – herbicides, insecticides, commercial fertilizers…
After coming to our cellar, the grapes are vinified in a natural way, with spontaneous fermentation on the skins and without the addition of enzymes, added yeasts or malolactic bacteria. The wines are mellowed in wooden barrels of various sizes, with a long stay on the lees. After nearly a year the wines are bottled without micro- or sterile filtering.
We believe that no year is “good” or “bad” if you work in a natural way – the vintages are just different. They depend on seasonal climatic factors that determine the absolute value of the wine: its quality.”

“Baracija” Malvazija
Region: Istria
Grape: Malvazija
Vineyard Size: 8 hectares
Soil: dark, heavy clay
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: destemmed, 7-20 day maceration in neutral barrels, spontaneous fermentation in neutral barrels with indigenous yeasts, pigéage three times a day, malolactic fermentation
Aging: 24 months in large wood barrels
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 20mg/L

“Baracija” Refošk
Region: Istria
Grape: Refosco
Vineyard Size: 8 hectares
Soil: dark, heavy clay
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: destemmed, spontaneous fermentation in neutral barrels with indigenous yeasts, pigéage three times a day, malolactic fermentation
Aging: 24 months in large wood barrels
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 20 mg/L

“Pjenušac” Brut Nature
Region: Istria
Grape: Malvasia, Chardonnay, Plavina
Vineyard Size: 8 hectares
Soil: sandy clay, heavy clay
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in barrels with indigenous yeasts
Aging: méthode ancestrale
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 20mg/L

“Sv. Jakov” Malvazija
Region: Istria
Grape: Malvasia
Vineyard Size: 8 hectares
Soil: rocky clay
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: maceration, spontaneous fermentation in open vats with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in large wood barrels
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 20mg/L

“Ottocento” Crni
Region: Istria
Grape: Refosco, Merlot
Vineyard Size: 8 hectares
Soil: dark, heavy clay
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in barrels with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in large wood barrels
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 20mg/L

“Ottocento” Bijeli
Region: Istria
Grape: Malvasia, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
Vineyard Size: 8 hectares
Soil: sandclay, heavy clay
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: maceration, spontaneous fermentation in barrels with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in large wood barrels
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: 20mg/L