HONOURING ISTRIA AND ITS HERITAGE

The family’s wine story began in 1904 in Valle in north-west Istria, bordering Slovenia, with just a few hectares of vineyards. Now in their fourth generation and with a much larger footprint, their primary focus remains on showcasing Istria’s beloved indigenous varieties – Malvazija, Muskat Momjanski, Muskat Rose and Teran.

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The family mission is to make wines which are the expression of the earth they come from.  They firmly believe that the wine is a creation of the soil, the vine and the winemaker, and see their vineyards as a treasure. They have 31 hectares of vineyards today, divided across two sites: vineyard Valle – the place where it all started - and the single vineyard Santa Lucia that is considered one of the best vineyard sites in Croatia.

 

Gianfranco Kozlović is somewhat of a legend in Istria - widely regarded as one of a few that truly spearheaded the renaissance of the Istrian wine industry in the 1990's.  With his wife Antonella, the Kozlovic's have had an instrumental impact on the evolution and recognition of Malvazija Istarska - Istria's flagship white. 

 

They continue to receive international awards and acclaim for their interpretations of Istria's much loved varietals.  In April 2022, their Santa Lucia Malvazija earned 96 points and won Best in Show at Vinistra's World of Malvazija, in addition to their Teran scooping the Best Teran award.  This followed hot on the coattails of their Selekcija Malvazija winning Platinum at Decanter 2020.  Deserved recognition indeed for wines honouring Istria and its heritage.