Emil Tavcar

Emil Tavcar is a Slovenian winegrower who owns a small estate in Dutovlje, in the heart of the Karst, a few kilometres from the Italian border. It is a typical family business, run with care and passion by artisans, with the desire to keep alive the ancient traditions of the area and to produce wines that are pure and genuine and faithfully reflect this wonderful region. The Tavcar family has always been linked to this land. Its origins are ancient and for many generations it was dedicated to butchery, before buying some land to create a farm and cultivate vines. The first labels bottled in-house date back to the 1990s, and in the space of a few decades, Tavcar wines have conquered the palates of enthusiasts and connoisseurs always in search of novelties that express the authentic face of the terroir of origin.

The property extends over an area characterised by very special soil and climate conditions, which give rise to wines with an absolutely unique and unmistakable profile. The area of the Karst plateau is located in the first hinterland of the Trieste coast and enjoys a Mediterranean-type climate, with hot summers cooled by the sea breeze and the bora, which blows violently from the north-east. The soils are stony, composed of white limestone rocks, carved deep into the earth by the waters, which over the millennia have created underground caves and tunnels. To succeed in planting a vine, it is often necessary to take soil from the Doline, karstic depressions where soil and organic matter accumulate, and transport it to the vineyard, where it is mixed with crushed stone to form a cultivable layer. The roots of the vines then manage to penetrate the fractures in the limestone rock and descend into the depths in search of water and nutrients.

Today, the estate covers only two hectares, with a heritage of old vines of particular value, capable of yielding grapes of excellent quality. The vines are trained using ancient methods, based on a low planting density and sometimes still using the pergola system. Agronomic management is carried out with great care for the environment, using only sulphur and copper, according to organic farming practices. Between the rows, the grapes are harvested by hand and fermentation takes place spontaneously using only indigenous yeasts. Vinification takes place in steel or wooden vats, depending on the wines and cuvées. The wines are aged for a long time, so that they can express their full evolutionary potential.