Marjan Simčič is one of the wildest I’ve met yet.
What was supposed to be a two-hour visit turned into eight. From tank and barrel samples to 2010 gems, I’ll never forget the wines nor my time with Marjan.
His vineyards straddle Slovenia’s Goriška Brda District and Italy’s Collio Region, creating a terroir that screams of both the Alps and the Mediterranean. Precise aromas and flavors from thick layers of marl and sandstone. Biodynamic viticulture and meticulous ancestral vinification make space for a loud voice of time and place.
Clean, transparent crystals created by Mother Nature at the hands of Marjan Simčič, full of energy.
I’m telling you, those eight hours weren’t nearly enough…
Marjan works with conviction and exuberance. His cellar is impeccable. While it’s true you don’t want your vineyards to look and feel sterile, you most definitely want that in a cellar. After each tank sample—so many I lost count!—he carefully wiped down each spout before delving into the wine. The extra effort. The difference between very good and outstanding.
Ribolla, Sauvignonasse, Pinot Grigio, and a mix of the nobles. Not one wine tasted was even “meh.” I’m telling you, it was one of the best experiences of my life. A Purple Mouthed Awarded Producer.
Back up in the tasting room, it got even better. With a panoramic view of the Goriska Brda hills while tasting, here are a few of the wines that made me swoon.
We’ll start with the variety I tattooed on my body, the persnickety Pinot Noir: The 2010 Marjan Simčič Pinot Noir moved me. On the nose, bloody tomatoes and dates covered with earth and leather. Fig! Tobacco! Clay! The palate was light and bright, still so much life. My notes read, “tomato juice shoved in wet-leaf-soil with lots of cherries.”
And then the 2010 Chardonnay: Yellow flowers and light popcorn with cantaloupe and vanilla. The only other note, unfortunately, simplifies this complex wine into “next level.”
Again, I lost count during the barrel/tank-sample phase, so my notes upstairs were in proper Purple Mouthed form. Not to say the wines didn’t count, au contraire. I was so present that everything else fell behind. If notes and pictures suffer from immeasurable in-the-moment moments, what’s to worry? The memories are there.
We tasted a 2016 blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that reads, “Nose: Hot pepper jelly over cherries and menthol plums with little raspberries. Everything is sprinkled with white pepper. Mouth: Blackberry and vanilla minty niblets with dark chocolate and love.”
What can I say? The tasting room was on fire.
Other notables:
2012 Sauvignon Blanc – “…acid that kicks your backend.”
2020 Pinot Grigio – “…a cantaloupe licks your lips with rose petals and tangerines.”
2020 Sauvignon Blanc – “…acidity making me pulse.”
The rest is history. Part mystery. As it should be.
One of the most talented winemakers I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, Marjan Simčič is a legend.
