Korenika & Moskon Refosk 2019

The vibe: Ahh Refosk (or Refosco if you’re in Italy). This is such a classically fall-coded red grape. This is a red of depth and body, with pepper and smoke and earth, lifted by bright acidity and popping with currant and raspberry and dried cherry notes. It is a very dark skinned grape, considered to be one of the oldest varieties originating between the karst and coastal Slovenia. With this wine, we’ve moved even further south into Istria, the southwestern tip of Slovenia directly bordering the Adriatic Sea to the west and Croatia to the south. This to us is the ultimate expression of red wine from this region, a classic example of true old world winemaking, and a compelling excuse to book a trip to visit ASAP! 

The winemaker: Korenika & Moškon is Slovenia’s largest Demeter certified winery at just 25 hectares! Family owned and operated, they have been recovering and naturalizing their winemaking ethos since the early 1980’s. Situated in Istria on a rolling hillside with an enviable view of the Adriatic, their vines – and olive trees! – stretch from the salt-soaked coastline to higher hinterland. Through minimal intervention practices in the vineyards and cellar, they show us what this picturesque region is capable of. 

The geeky details: Grown on sandstone with plenty of marine sediment, the grapes are left for four days of cold maceration to extract soft, inviting tannins, before sitting on lees for 20 months to mature.

Serve: Cellar temp.

Food pairing: Red meat red meat! Honestly any roasted dish is going to pair incredibly with this, depending on your vibe. Roasted eggplant, seared salmon, grilled ribs, the list goes on! 

Album pairing: Loure - Westside Movements