Clai Ottocento Bjeli White 2018
Type: Orange Wine
Country: Croatia
Region: Istria-Kvarner
Grape Variety: Istrian Malvazija, Pinot Gris
Viticulture: Natural Wine | Biodynamic | Certified Organic
Climate: A climate where the cold from the Alps meets the Mediterranean heat
Terroir: Vines grow on rocky clay
Winemaking: Used a natural winemaking approach, focusing on organic and biodynamic farming methods. The grapes are hand-harvested at optimal ripeness, de-stemmed & fed into open-top oak barrels, and undergo spontaneous fermentation using native yeasts. The wine is aged in oak barrels for at least 2 years, allowing the fruit to express itself while gaining complexity and texture
Color: Dark gold
Nose: A harmonious blend of citrus and tropical fruit notes, such as ripe lemon, pineapple, and peach, complemented by hints of floral and herbal undertones
Palate: The wine showcases a medium to full body, vibrant acidity, and a mineral-driven character, leading to a long and satisfying finish
About the Winery:
After a long and successful career in the restaurant industry in Trieste, Giorgio Clai, colloquially known as “the Godfather of Istrian Wine”, followed his passion and returned to his ancestral home, in Istria, to take over his family vineyard.
His vineyards are situated 10 km inland, on grey/white limestone flysch soil, and at sufficient altitude to still benefit from the cool Adriatic sea breeze. Clai’s cellar of wines have one key factor in common – the whites, just like the reds, are all skin-contact wines, otherwise known as orange wines. These wines are food wines, well balanced, rich and complex. Historically, in Istria, Slovenia and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, orange wine-making was the norm and Giorgio is resolute in his mission of sustaining and evolving this tradition.
Clai’s wines are certified organic, and winemaking techniques follow natural and biodynamic principles.
Giorgio quickly became recognized as a pioneer in orange winemaking – identified by Simon Woolf (The Amber Revolution) as an expert: “Clai’s skin-contact whites are one of the pinnacles of the ‘orange wine’ style – few European winemakers have managed to achieve this level of finesse, balance and pure drinkability.”
