Clai Ottocento Crni Red 2018
Type: Red
Country: Croatia
Region: Istria-Kvarner
Grape Variety: Refosk, Merlot
Viticulture: Natural Wine | Biodynamic | Certified Organic
Climate: A climate where the cold from the Alps meets the Mediterranean heat
Terroir: 10 to 16 years old vines grow on dark and heavy clay soil
Winemaking: Follows a natural winemaking philosophy, focusing on organic and biodynamic practices. Grapes are hand-picked, de-steammed and gravity-fed into large wooden barrels for maceration for about a month which starts with natural yeasts at the temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. Grapes are mixed three times a day at which period they undergoe also malo-lactic fermentation. After pressing it is aged at least two years into big oak barrels
Color: Dark ruby red
Nose: Rich and complex nose with notes of dark fruits, blackberries, plums, and a touch of spice
Palate: It showcases a medium to full body, with velvety tannins and a well-balanced acidity that adds vibrancy to the wine. The wine’s long and satisfying finish leaves a lasting impression
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.”
