Goriška Brda is one of Slovenia's smallest wine regions, a run of hills between the Adriatic and the Julian Alps that continues across the Italian border as Collio. It is the same ground, the same grapes and largely the same culture — the frontier just happens to run through it.

The Kabaj-Morel family work here with a stated aim of making the wines they themselves want to drink. Every wine spends a minimum of one year in French barrel or in buried Georgian qvevri, then further time in bottle before release. The qvevri programme is less exotic than it sounds in this neighbourhood: Gravner and Radikon are under an hour away, and clay has been part of the local conversation for two decades.

Ravan is made from Zeleni Sauvignon, known in Friuli as Sauvignonasse and in Tokaj-adjacent circles as Jakot. It is a delicate variety, prone to botrytis, and it responds unusually well to skin contact. After more than a week fermenting on skins this comes out with a distinctly greenish cast rather than the amber most macerated whites land on, and the character runs herbal and citric with a light spice behind it.

Drink it with: roast chicken, grilled vegetables, aged sheep's cheese, herb-heavy pasta, or richer fish dishes.

Details

• Producer: Kabaj
• Region: Goriška Brda, Primorska, Slovenia
• Grapes: Zeleni Sauvignon (Sauvignonasse)
• Vintage: 2019
• Bottle size: 750ml