WINE
For every wine released under the label OMO, several important conditions must be fulfilled. Every bottle must represent the highest interpretation of its terroir, produced in a long-term sustainable way.
To be able to meet those criteria, first I need to recognize a fine complex combination of natural conditions that constitute a great terroir. Obviously, this comes most often with a great local varieties and wines, it comes naturally as a result of generations of shared knowledge, where continuously best wines were made using certain varieties, grown in certain places and made into a typical wine. Currently of the local Istrian varieties, only Malvazija Istriana and Refosco fit best to my idea in a specific terroir of North-West Istria near towns of Buje and Brtonigla. But the list will not end there as my knowledge and understanding the local practices and history, “lost” varieties will be added.
I strongly believe in a meticulous care of clean working environment, purity of work, simple classic winemaking, minimum of technology, but maximum care and patience in ageing. To have that authentic taste I am using natural pied de cuve yeast starters and avoid modern winemaking tools aimed for wines that need to be quickly ready for the market and appreciated by wider number of consumers, such as low temperature fermentations or aroma enhancers. Any taste standardisation or simply adjusting to a successful global wine style is avoided, every detail is specifically selected just for that OMO vintage, most suitable selection of oak or acacia barrels, every decision is made just to make the best authentic wine possible.
In the case of OMO Malvasia Istriana, the idea was to show the historical archetype of the eponymous wine, its famous name was given to numerous Mediterranean white and red grape varieties, it represented a style of aromatic, rich, fairly alcoholic, full-bodied wine, slightly sweetish in taste or even very sweet, often aged for a substantial amount of time. OMO Malvasia Istriana is released after 18 months of ageing on its fine lees in large 1.000 lit. oak and 500 lit. acacia barrels and undergoing natural cold stabilisation for two winters.
OMO Refosco is a personal interpretation of a local robust tannic variety made to match my personal preferences. I like wines with a classic vinous character, elegant but with firm structure and longevity, I enjoy those classic wines more than a New World concentrated very aromatic and fruity sweet tannin crowd pleaser. To avoid making overly big and tannic wine from concentrated small Refosco berries, I am using a restrained and gentle tannin extraction, lower temperature slow fermentations and carefully dosed manual cap punch-downs, followed by 12 months of ageing in 500L oak barrels and next 10 months in a natural concrete tulip tank. Bottled still in its youthful phase, this approach makes Refosco a classical fine wine with a long life ahead, needing additional minimum year in bottle to be released.
Any new label of OMO wine will have to meet the same conditions, local varieties capable of producing an authentic long-lasting world-class wine, grown and made with resource responsible and sustainable organic vineyard management.
