Uroš Klabjan - Malvazija 2012

An hospitable winemaker in the Karst makes wines suitable for the long haul

You have to love a winemaker who recognises when refreshment comes first. I won't ever forget a 2013 visit to Uroš Klabjan's small estate in west Slovenia. For mid-May, the weather was unusually hot. We drove high up onto the Karst plateau for an outstanding view over the region, and Klabjan immediately produced a chilled bottle of a delicious young Malvazija and four glasses from the depths of his 4x4. Our thirsts were slaked, and friendship assured.

This isn't the only reason I make a beeline for Klabjan's wines whenever I see them. Uros is a warm, convivial character refreshingly devoid of the ego that some cult winemakers unfortunately develop. Furthermore, his wines are outstanding examples of the taut, structured style from this part of Slovenia.

Despite being on the edge of the Karst region (Carso in Italian, Kras in Slovene), Klabjan is properly in Slovenian Istra, a sub-region that unfortunately tends to be ignored at the expense of its neighbours Goriska Brda and Croatian Istr…