Kristian Keber
EDI KEBER – COLLIO, FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA (BORN 1987)
Kristian Keber was born into a pioneering family. His grandfather was among the first in the zone to bottle wine in 1957. His father Edi started working almost exclusively with indigenous grapes in the 1980s when French grapes were much more fashionable.
When Keber joined his father in 2008, they made the decision to shift from varietal wines to one single white – a blend of native Tocai Friulano, Malvasia Istriana and Ribolla Gialla grapes. ‘It was foolish from a marketing perspective because clients want monovarietal wines. But blends are historical here.’
For Keber, who is now fully in charge of the winery, this return to the past is about elevating the region of Collio. But it is difficult to sell a terroir that isn’t known: Collio doesn’t have the recognition of Bordeaux or even Soave. Nevertheless, Keber features the name of the region prominently on the label, believing that the concept of terroir is a wine’s strength. ‘It takes into account the land, the best varieties for that area and the tradition to make a wine in a certain style.’
Keber also makes wine in Slovenia with a similar approach. He inherited a 1.7ha vineyard from his maternal grandfather in Brda, just minutes away from the property in Collio. The two areas are akin in terroir and grapes, but separated by a political boundary. ‘I would like the two territories to be united,’ says Keber, who dreams of a cross-border denomination. This is a crusade he may be fighting with the next generation.
Edi Keber, K, Collio, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 2017 91
£ 25 Bentley’s of Ludlow, Define Food & Wine, Wild & Lees
Tocai Friulano blended with Malvasia Istriana and Ribolla Gialla, fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, aged in cement. Earthy rather than fruity with a smoky flintiness. Delicate alpine shrub scents yet intense and sturdy in structure: cleansing, tactile, punctuated by quince and stone, then a subtle but lingering finish. Organic. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 13%