Clai Wines

Our estate lies in Istria, in a small village Krasica, south of the town of Buje in northern part of Istrian peninsula, close to Slovenian and Italian border. The property encompasses 10 hectares of vineyards and 5 hectares of olive trees. Around 200m above sea level, the vineyards enjoys plenty of sunshine as well as cool and salty sea breezes coming from Adriatic some 10 km to the west. The soil here is limestone flysch – its low fertility and good drainage provide the perfect amount of stress for our old vines. Our principal goal is to enhance our terroir. Although we have some international varietals, we grow mainly native grapes and olives. Our work in the vineyards is all about quality, not quantity. The density of culture system is high (5,700 plants / hectare) and the yields are kept low. All our production has been certified organic from the beginnings of the estate. We do not use any systemic treatments such as herbicides, insecticides, or fungicides. The fertilisation is minimal and occasional, using only organic and natural manure. After coming to our cellar, the grapes are vinified in a natural way, with spontaneous fermentation on the skins and without the addition of enzymes, selected yeasts or malolactic bacteria. The wines are mellowed in wooden barrels of various sizes, with a long stay on the lees. After nearly two years the wines are bottled without micro or sterile filtering.