The Simčič family had been farming the hills of Goriška Brda decades before Edi and his wife Marica bottled their first vintage in 1989. Today, their son Aleks and grandsons Jure and Jakob tend 13 hectares of steep, sun-drenched slopes across three villages, farming sustainably on the region’s signature opoka soils featuring layers of calcareous sandstone, marl, and clay that lend a distinctive salinity. Yields average just 700 grams per vine, around a half-bottle per plant.

One of the estate’s most exclusive bottlings at just 5 to 7 barrels in any given vintage. Kozana Merlot comes from the Kurinšče parcel in the village of Kozana, a south-facing site at about 110 meters where sedimentary limestone meets heavier clay, a geological feature imparting both power and nuance. After a 15-day maceration with frequent punchdowns, the wine ages around four years in predominantly new French oak barriques and is lightly filtered before bottling. The resulting wine shows notes of blackberry compote, espresso, salmiak licorice, and graphite, with a brooding, velvety depth. Intriguing now but built for up to fifteen years of cellaring.