Kabaj 2011 Kabaj Goriska Brda Luisa - Wine & Spirits Magazine

Wine Reviews

Kabaj 2011 Kabaj Goriska Brda Luisa

review by Stephanie Johnson • September 27, 2016

Leading up to our Top 100 in San Francisco, our critics are sharing some favorite wines that will be poured at the event. We’re posting a new note each day through October 10th.

Join us at the Top 100 Tasting in San Francisco on October 10th to taste this wine. Grab your tickets today!

Like many Kabaj whites, this 2011 is reticent at first, the flavors masked by a meaty texture and lactic notes that recall washed-rind cheese. The wine raised some controversy among our panelists, yet it emerged over several days of retasting as one of this issue’s most compelling white wines. Winemaker Jean-Michel Morel changes the composition of Luisa depending on the vintage, this one a blend of cofermented friulano, pinot bianco and sauvignon blanc, and ribolla that macerated on the skins for a full month. Exposure to air transforms it into a gorgeously expressive wine with scents of fresh pineapple, lemon and tangerine and flavors of peach that warm into rich baked pear, ginger and honey. The texture is chewy and dense, cooled by a stream of acidity that keeps the flavors juicy and bright. Decanted and served at cellar temperature, it’s a dynamic match for the gamey flavors of roast pheasant or guinea hen.

Stephanie Johnson

is the Italian wine editor at Wine & Spirits magazine.

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TAGS Goriska Brda Slovenia Top 100 Countdown White Blend

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