Primoz Lavrencic
The vineyards of the Vipava Valley in the far west of Slovenia are close to the border with Italy and its own north eastern outposts of the vine in Friuli, Oslavia and Gorizia, where if producers seem more Slavic than Italian that is probably because they are. This region is very different from Maribor and Jeruzalem in the east of Slovenia, for here we are close to the Adriatic, north of Trieste and on the solid limestone of the Karst, in a valley where the Burj winds can reach a speed of 240kph! If that happens during the flowering of the vine you can say goodbye to any prospects of a harvest. As for the terrain a serious lesson in 50 million years of geology is probably required with talk of Cretaceous, Eocene and Tertiary periods. Dinosaurs once walked this land. To be brief, we are talking rocks, lots of them, rich in calcium carbonate. Former marine sediments were gradually transformed into solid rock and fertile soils were gradually formed on the surface allowing vines to find nutrients from both top soils and bed rock.
Primoz Lavrencic has the hallmark of the restless maverick, one who is constantly searching for answers to questions in a personal search for the key to unlocking the potential for originality in wine from this location. He is making good progress. His Burja Bela (white) is a blend of Rebula (Ribolla Gialla), Malvasia (the Istrian version, so a very different animal from the other variety that shares this name), Laski Riesling and around 10% of unidentified mixed varieties grown for a field blend. An initially reductive character to the fruit is eventually resolved by patience he says, rather than by interference, and the final result is one of unique character. The Burja Noir is made from Pinot Noir vines of 10 – 20 years of age, producing wine with a pale colour, very aromatic and intense, occasionally quite high toned with a level of volatile acidity that might upset a technical winemaking purist, but which many consumers find attractive. Burja Reddo represents a personal challenge to play with local varieties introducing Refosk (Refosco), Blaufrankisch and most interestingly of all, 40% of Schioppettino. The result is even more Burgundian than his Pinot wine and seems to have better balance and probable ageing potential. Primoz is clearly a determined and capable wine grower, although I guess that at least some of his neighbours think he is crazy!
Bela Burja
