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.

Rebula, an indigenous grape that’s been grown on these hillsides for centuries, produces wines of texture, ageability, and a singular mineral core. The Klasik bottling draws from south-facing vineyards in Kozana and Fojana, from vines ranging from 21 to 43 years old planted on calcareous sandstone and marl.

2023 was a damp, rainy year. Hail damage was severe enough that no single vineyard fojana rebula was produced, but the Klasik shows striking character. Fermented in French oak barriques and 500-liter tonneaux (10% new) with native yeasts, it ages 11 months in barrel and 6 in bottle. Taut citrus, ripe pear, fresh chamomile, and an almost grippy structure. 8,900 bottles produced. To really begin to understand the work of Edi Simčič, start here.