Quela, 2018

A Merlot-led red from a Slovenian hilltop village the Habsburgs ranked first-class in 1787, kept about three years in cherrywood and oak barrels before release.

A dark, Merlot-led red from Medana, a hilltop village in Slovenia's Brda hills that looks across the border into Italy. Cherry and forest berries, a smoky, toasty edge and a little chocolate. The fruit drifts towards plum and even apricot on the palate. The tannins are very fine and melt away, so it feels full without feeling heavy. It comes from a family that has farmed here since 1918.