This month in the club we feature a wonderful Barolo and the latest stunning wine from our friend Edi Simčič in Slovenia. We resolved to put both of them in the club as soon as we tasted them.

2008 Livia Fontana, Villero Barolo, $55

Winery info: The Fontana family have been winemakers in Barolo for seven generations.

Winemaker: Livia Fontana, assisted by the respected enologist Donato Lanati of the University of Turin.

Grapes: 100% Nebbiolo, fermented in stainless steel, and aged in larger Slavonian and French oak casks.

Vineyard source: Villero Vineyard in Castiglione Falletto, 300-350 meters above sea level. Its brown clay soil is rich in loam, iron oxides, and active calcium compounds.

Flavor profile: Elegant aromas of red fruits, with Barolo’s characteristic notes of cherries, spice, and earth, and a delightfully long finish.

Availability: The 2008 vintage is sold out, although we may have a couple of bottles left.

Drinkability: Delicious now, one of the traits of Livia’s wines, but it could easily develop for another five to seven years.

Food Pairing: Red meat, game, and well seasoned hard cheeses.

2012 Edi Simčič, Malvazija, $39.75

Winery info: Edi Simčič’s winery in Goriška Brda is just 500 yards from the Italian border and his wines are imported by our dear friend Josh Hanson of Small Vineyards here in West Seattle.

Winemaker: Edi is a third-generation winemaker, whose family had to sell all of their grapes to the state under the Communist regime from 1948 to 1989. In recent years, he has received quite a bit of attention from the international wine community for his unique white wines and his Bordeaux-style reds.

Grapes: 100% Malvazija, one of the oldest grape varietals in the world, fermented in French oak barrels.

Vineyard source: Edi’s vineyards are on the stony Goriška Brda plateau, where the main climactic factors are cool northern winds and hot Adriatic summers.

Flavor profile: Very complex, with white floral aromas, notes of menthol, mint, and mustard seed, and a mouth feel of dried apricots.

Availability: Very limited, but we do have a few extra bottles.

Drinkability: Tasty now but, like most of Edi’s whites, age-worthy for up to a decade.

Food Pairing: Would be perfect with Moroccan dishes. Edi recommends trying it with foods prepared with Mediterranean spices, such as rosemary or bay leaves, or “a frog-fish dish.” (Maybe a Slovenian delicacy?)