The year after the film was released, Merlot sales took a significant dip in the United States. It was hard to escape from the stigma around Merlot that the film created. Admittedly, even Matt was affected, he avoided the grape early in his wine drinking days.

There is a very ironic thing about the grape in the film. Miles, the main character, shows his disdain for Merlot and Cabernet Franc in the film. Miles’ most prized possession is a 1961 Chateau Cheval Blanc, a right bank Bordeaux blend made of… Merlot and Cabernet Franc!

Say Hello to Croatian Merlot

Merlot isn’t the most “sexy” wine grape. However, there is no question that it has the ability to make deep, rich, world-class wines. Two of the most expensive wines in the world, Chateau Petrus and the aforementioned Chateau Cheval Blanc, are Merlot-based wines.

Our main focus is indigenous varieties. Because of the nature of what we do, we see a lot of Merlot. As we trot around the unheralded corners of the wine world, it seems as if everybody tries their hand at growing and vinifying it. Admittedly, it becomes difficult to taste the endless swathes of these wines after a while.

Croatian Merlot is a breath of fresh air, it is grown in all four winegrowing areas of Croatia. Here we will focus on three: Istria, Dalmatia, and Slavonia. We have yet to taste a Merlot from the Uplands that got us really excited.

Istrian Merlot

The region that is touted as the best potential for the grape is Istria. In fact, British wine critic Oz Clarke said Istria might be the world’s second-best Merlot terroir after Bordeaux. The Istrian peninsula is surrounded by the moderating Adriatic sea and has proximity to the Slovenian and Dinaric Alps that bring down cool air.

Those climatic factors plus the mineral soil may be the reason. The Merlot from Istria is rich, plush, and low in alcohol. Istrian Merlot can be ripe and plush while still maintaining alcohol levels of 12.5%. More importantly, the wine still has enough earth flavors and a true sense of place along with the ripe fruit flavors.

Istria is number 8 on the map.

Dalmatian Merlot

Dalmatia is a magical place for grapes. There are so many unique grapes grown in small pockets of the entire region. Some grapes exist only in small corners of remote islands. That is what makes the place special, all the unique and odd sounding grapes. Who knew that Merlot coming from the region would taste so good.

Our two top Merlot-based wines are from Dalmatia. The climate in Dalmatia is true Mediterranean with very hot and dry summers. The Merlot-based wines we have tasted from the region are rich and dense. These wines also range from fruity & unpretentious to serious with many layers of depth.

Northern Dalmatia is where we have tasted the most exciting Merlot based wines. A few areas of note are around the village of Skradin, Benkovac, and the island of Pag. The Merlot here gets tons of sun and takes on more sour red fruit flavors which Matt really likes. The best way to describe the grape here is an imaginary mix of Merlot flavors from Languedoc (France) and Lebanon.

Slavonian Merlot

Slavonia the region (not the country Slovenia) is in the far eastern, continental part of Croatia. The Slavonian oak barrels and casks from this area are famous with winemakers around the world, especially in Italy. Most of the region is covered with the Graševina (Welschriesling) grape.

Known as a white wine region, their momentum for producing reds is picking up quickly. A well-esteemed Dalmatian producer even told us that, “We (Dalmatians) need to step up our game because the red wines from Slavonia will rival ours in a few years.” When we visited the region we tasted some good examples of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir.

It seems that most producers that make red wine choose Merlot. The wines here can taste lean and underripe sometimes. More often than not they seem a bit one-dimensional. There are some good examples however. The best Merlot wines we have tasted from this region tend to have more herbal and earthy notes compared to Dalmatia and Istria.

Exotic Wine Travel’s Picks for Croatian Merlot

All three regions are pumping out some excellent Merlot-based wines. The most exciting thing is the fact here is a difference between each of the regions. Here are some of our favorite examples of Croatian Merlot.

Istrian Merlot

• Roxanich, Merlot 2007

Find Roxanich wines at wineandmore.com

Roxanich is a natural producer that believe in wild yeasts, spontaneous fermentation, and long aging prior to release. This is a unique wine without a lot of terroir and aging notes, so it may not be for everyone but we really like it. The wine has flavors of leather, meat, dried plum, brown spice, vanilla, and tomato leaf – a lot going on here. The flavors are very big on the palate, the tannins are soft and the finish is extremely long. 

• Vina Laguna, Castello Festigia 2012

Find Vina Laguna wines at wineandmore.com

A blend of 60% Merlot, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage won a Gold Medal and Regional Trophy at the 2015 Decanter competition in London. The winery Vina Laguna is one of the largest in Croatia, pumping out 4.5 million liters of wine every year – all with estate-grown grapes. Their basic wines are very serviceable and widely available. Festigia is the name of their reserve line of wines.

This wine is very delicious and very well made. It is stuffed full of tobacco, chocolate, cedar, blackberry, plum, and white pepper. What we like about this wine is it is fruity without being over-the-top and without high alcohol. This is a delicious wine that is just plain nice to drink, with fine-grained tannins, and enough complexity to keep you engaged. 

• Collis, Cuvée 2014 

A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon from a brand new winery in Istria.  This wine is an impressive effort given the difficult and rainy vintage of 2014. This spends 18 months in oak and is rich with red fruit, caramel, and vanilla. The wine has beautiful texture with well-integrated wood flavors. Fan of Old World wine will be happy with this excellent effort. 

Dalmatian Merlot 

This is the 2013 but the labels for all the vintages are the same

• Boškinac, Cuvée 2007 

Find at wineandmore.com

A blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged for two years in French oak before release. This wine has a big-time reputation and we see why. We’ve also had the 2012 and 2013 vintages of this wine – both are excellent. This 2007 is on another level, we tasted this wine from a Jeroboam (3 liter – Double Magnum) bottle. It has amazing flavors of pencil lead, dried plum, dried cherry, and earth. The wine is rich and medium bodied with a long end palate, tangy acidity, and structure for days. 

• Bibich, Sangreal Merlot 2011

Find at wineandmore.com

We had a three and a half hour wine pairing lunch at Bibich and it was epic. During the magical afternoon, we tasted through his entire portfolio of wines. The top wines of Bibich are his Aleph and Bas de Bas. The Sangreal Merlot is no slouch, it is aged for 24 months in oak before bottling. This is dense, ripe, and slightly spicy. There are lots of dark plum, blackberry, and earth notes but the minerality is what makes this special. The Sangreal Merlot is a easy drinking and delicious wine.

• G & J Vina, Tvoja Krv i Moja 2012

Find at wineandmore.com

The words tvoja krv i moja translate to your blood and mine. It is the solo wine that comes from a French-trained couple. This wine from Northern Dalmatia is extremely difficult to find but the chase is worth it. The wine is rich and it has flavors of sour cherry at first. The sour cherry is immediately followed by a rush of black fruit, mint, and pencil lead. The long finish suggests that this couple knows what they are doing.

Slavonian Merlot 

• Bartolović, Merlot 2011

A wild card from a producer in Slavonia. Bartolović is the least heralded of the prior mentioned producers. This is inexpensive but extremely well made, mouth-watering, and delicious.This wine is extremely bright with a lot of sour cherry notes on the palate. There is also a touch of cedar, mineral, and clay notes present. The producer makes wines of real character, they are a hidden gem amongst Croatian wines. 

The finest selection of Croatian Merlot wines available at: 

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Croatian Wines Available in the USA.

************

    Do you want to try Croatian wines?    

If you want to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With many options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

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Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com, and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

Related Articles

Decanter Article on Istria Quoting Oz Clark 

The post We Are Drinking F@#cking Croatian Merlot!! appeared first on Wine Travel.

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In celebration of International Plavac Mali Day, Charine Tan, co-author of the award-winning wine travel guidebook “Cracking Croatian Wine”, creates a buying guide to help you navigate the exciting world of Croatia’s flagship red wine. To learn more about International Plavac Mali Day, follow its Facebook page.

A Mediterranean Temperament

Driving through the Sveti Rok Tunnel that transverses the Velebit mountains, the temperature shoots from 18 to 24 degrees Celsius, and shards of Mediterranean sunshine penetrate through the car’s window. 

My travel companion sneezes. “Must be the propuh,” he says, attributing the sudden burst of air expelled from his lungs through his nose and mouth to the indoor draft – as “propuh” is loosely defined. More precisely, propuh is a nefarious force of nature that accounts for all kinds of ailments in Dalmatia, Croatia.

In a way, the belief in propuh is emblematic of the stereotypical Dalmatian attitude: respect the traditions – and sometimes superstitions – and being charismatically opinionated about everything. Just as how propuh aficionadoes might say that all your headache, sore throat, neckache, and flu are effects of propuh, many Dalmatians would adamantly believe that their grandparents made the best wine; and the best place to grow Plavac Mali, Croatia’s flagship red wine grape, is Dingač – the first wine appellation in Croatia. 

Only Plavac Mali is permitted to grow on the precipitous south-facing slopes in the Dingač wine appellation.

Plavac Mali means “little blue”, which refers to the small, round, and blue grapes of Dalmatia’s most widely planted vines that flourish in extremely harsh, rocky, and dry conditions. Vintners often describe Plavac Mali as “crazy Plavac” that needs to be “tamed”. In maturity, its relatively dense cluster ripens unevenly – offering green berries, red berries, a handful of perfect berries with ideal phenolic ripeness, and raisins all in one bunch. When such bunches with varied ripeness are vinified, the finished wine tends to reflect different phenolic maturity levels, showing underlying greenness amid the sweet veneer – which can be uniquely complex or hopelessly unbalanced.

One does not need to be a cognoscente to know Plavac Mali is a valued grape variety. “Plavac Mali is so stable and dominant on domestic wine lists. It often occupies half of the red wine menu,” says Saša Spiranec, Croatia’s leading wine journalist. With its sun-drenched temperament, Plavac Mali famously delivers an array of Mediterranean flavors redolent of garrigue and ripe fruit, coupled with a propensity to live a long life.

Plavac Mali clusters showing uneven ripening.

Taking the Temperature

My first foray into Croatian wine was in 2016, during the salad days of my wine career. I wanted to write a travel guide for independent wine travelers and had initially planned to publish a wine travel guidebook encompassing all the ex-Yugoslavian countries. In the end, Croatia convinced my co-author and me that it deserves a stage of its own. 

Plavac Mali was my favorite Croatian wine right from the start, even though it could be head-scratching how a $40 Plavac Mali was frequently no better than a $20 one. Most of the higher-priced Plavac Mali came from the Dingač and Postup wine appellations. Those wines tended to be riper than average, offering richness as well as elevated alcohol levels – all of which reflected Dalmatia’s prevailing dry and warm conditions. The heat muted some of the buoyant fragrance of Plavac Mali; and most producers were dismissive of the variety’s elegance and terpene-related aromas, favoring instead compote and dried fruit flavors and volume to fill the palate before the wine finished with a firm clench from astringent tannins. Additionally, some winemakers see oxidation during aging as an asset that brings complex flavors and smooth texture. However, when such oxidation is done on extremely ripe grapes, topped with sloppy cellar work, the result is often a wine that is Port-like in intensity, soupy, and acetaldehyde-dominant.

But times are changing: with heightening demand from summer tourism, plus a growing number of producers and consumers preferring drinkability and fresher red fruit flavors to robustness and elusive longevity, a number of alluring new wines have sprung up alongside the tried-and-tested traditions. 

Such is the case happening in Komarna, Croatia’s first wholly organic and youngest wine region. This wine region is planted on the substrate of meliorated karst which, combined with judicious applications of new viticultural methods, is believed to coax higher acidity, more fresh-fruit flavors, and immediate approachability out of Plavac Mali. The Komarna region has quietly challenged the traditional element often found in the Pelješac wine region, including Dingač and Postup, and highlighting the cardinal rule that a grape variety can express different facets yet can be equally good, honest, and absolutely delicious – irrespective of philosophy and tradition.

“There are countless vineyards in Croatia, each with its own character, that reflect the various terrains, and the region of Dalmatia is certainly one of our jewels,” says Ina Rodin, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Office, North America.

The Komarna wine-growing area received its official designation in 2013.

A Buying Guide: How to Shop for the Best Plavac Mali Wine

Today, many producers are taking a serious interest in refining their practices, studying terroir, and creating Plavac Mali that can compete on the world stage. With its rich fruit and grippy tannins that require taming or long-term cellaring, a handful of producers are releasing well-aged Plavac Mali; that means many vintages of Plavac Mali are available in the market at a given time. This gives wine lovers the opportunity to drink mature wines immediately, often at fair prices. There is remarkable value to be found in Plavac Mali and curious consumers reading this article are in for a real treat.

Note: Here I broach my tastings by price; prices are in USD. The wine selection is based on the portfolio of Wine&more; all featured wines are available in the USA through them. If you would like to purchase these wines in the EU, please also visit Wine&more; use the discount code EWT&W&MVID to get 10% off your purchase.

Check out their wine cases:

• Best of Dingač,
• Selection of Plavac Mali. 

Saints Hills, Black (Dingač and Komarna) – $22.15

Saints Hills Black is a blend of grapes from two estate vineyards in Croatia’s youngest and oldest appellations. The grapes at Dingač are generally harvested about a week earlier than Komarna, as Dingač is warmer than windy Komarna. Its 13% alcohol is notably low for Plavac Mali. Penetrating sweet spice and fruity aromas are accompanied by a hint of rose. The tannins are firm and sweet, stretching the finish along with flavors of cinnamon brown sugar and strawberry jam. This fleshy Plavac Mali would appeal to wine lovers that appreciate New World’s fruit-forwardness and Old World’s nuanced complexity. Pair this with Dalmatinska Pašticada for a complete foodie experience.

Volarević, Plavac Mali Syrtis (Komarna) – $23.63

Winemaker Josip Volarević dedicated his PhD thesis to the subject of Plavac Mali and is known to bring an analytical approach to winemaking. Volarevic Plavac Mali Syrtis walks a fine line between being rosy floral and a tad too aldehydic. The lush palate displays sweet, ripe tannins and a maraschino-cherry core. A wine that opens up my appetite and makes me crave a juicy burger or a hearty goulash. Quite an understated wine that will likely shine further with age or accompanied by food. For people who enjoy Valpolicella Classico, this is an alternative.

Terra Madre, Plavac Mali Premium (Komarna) – $25.61

The spicy bouquet pulls me closer to the glass with a display of peppery florals and cherry jam. Terra Madre Plavac Mali Premium washes across the palate with silkiness wrapped around a mid-palate tannic tug. The tannins here are more astringent, but they are rather refreshing. This is delightfully elegant and sinewy for a Plavac Mali. The tech sheet says it has 5.7g/l total acidity and 3.52 pH, which are exceptionally healthy numbers for this variety. Plavac Mali from Pelješac is usually in the < 5g/l and >3.7 pH range. Great value; good for those who like medium-bodied Sangiovese-esque wine with a green, tannic kick.

Rizman, Plavac Mali Primus (Komarna) – $32.49

Established in 2006, Rizman is a pioneer of the Komarna appellation. Just like how the previous Stina’s wine marked a new level in this tasting, Rizman Plavac Mali Primus elevates the tasting to a new level again. It illustrates Rizman’s desire to move away from high alcohol, residual sugar, and overuse of oak, and move towards mesoclimate, fresh-fruit profile, and good buffering acidity. It shimmers with nascent energy, floral hints, and a spicy undertone, with a core held by red fruit and garrigue. There’s a harmonious balance between fruit and tannins, reflecting careful maceration and aging. This is a wine that will live well in the cellar for a few more years. I look forward to a cooler and more moderate vintage from Rizman. Negroamaro lovers would find familiarity in this wine.

Edivo, Plavac Mali (Pelješac) – $35

Edivo Plavac Mali is marked by mineral, spicy, and highly fruity notes, with a notable emphasis on spiciness. While plum jam is a hallmark of Plavac Mali, a variety of berries, notably red and black currants, are also present. The wine’s bouquet is rounded out with hints of cloves, cinnamon, sweet spices, cedar, and carob. I imagine it would go well with the Dalmatian octopus dish hobotnica ispod peke. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano drinkers can hop on the Mediterranean bandwagon with this wine.

Matuško, Dingač (Pelješac) – $39

Matuško Dingač delivers a charmingly fresh and sweet cherry core, enlivened by a minty edge and grippy tannins.  Matured in oak barrels, developing a dark ruby red color with purple hues that is both clear and vibrant. Its flavor is rich and rounded, with a harmonious blend of astringency and sweetness. It bears a slight resemblance to Vranec.

Stina, Plavac Mali Majstor (Brač) – $39

A juicy, fruity, gamy, woody, spicy, and spry wine delivering notes of clove, sage, wild berries, and barbecue meat. Stina, Plavac Mali Majstor a pleasurable and powerful mix, with a seductive empyreumatic facet that indicates judicious, expensive oak usage. Full-bodied with a fruit core that reaches out to every corner on the palate, along with small, sweet tannins. Most wine lovers should find charm in this Plavac Mali, notwithstanding the strong competition at this price point in the USA.

Grgić, Plavac Mali (Pelješac) – $44.31

Grgić Winery was established by legendary Napa Valley winemaker: Croatian-born Mike Grgich. Grgić Plavac Mali clocks in at 16% alcohol and delivers the ultimate extroverted and savory style. My first impression is, “This smells like some kind of double-boiled herbal chicken soup.” An intense display of licorice, woodsmoke, cherry, fig, blackcurrant, and blueberry takes on further depth as balsamic spices evolve in the glass. This is long and penetrating, tapering off to the note of bitter chocolate, plus warmth. It does well with dry-aged beef, especially Txuleton. Aglianico fans, this is for you. Note: decanting is recommended.

Volarević, Plavac Mali Syrtis Gold Edition (Komarna) – $47.27

I cannot wait to see what more Volarević can conjure from the propitious Komarna vineyards. Volarević Plavac Mali Syrtis Gold Edition is significantly more intense and structured than the entry-level Volarević’s Plavac Mali. It is airy and sweetly scented, presenting an understated display of florals and nuances of forest berries. It tapers off clean and classically dry, packed full of character and primary concentration. I imagine this Plavac Mali can mature into a plush, candied fruit-driven, and marginally savory red. Pair it with the classic Neretva Delta dish eel and frog brudet and your evening would be wildly sumptuous. For people who like opulent yet beautifully controlled wine, this is a must-try.

Korta Katarina, Plavac Mali (Pelješac) – $49

Korta Katarina Plavac Mali is lively, almost opaque in color. It exudes balance, elegance, and smoothness, making it a highly enjoyable wine. This Plavac showcases ripe, dried, and stewed fruits, as well as Mediterranean herbs and spices. I find this intriguing and would love to revisit it in a few years. For people who appreciate full-bodied Old World Grenache, this is a fun alternative. Note: decanting or even aging is recommended.

Saints Hills, Dingač (Dingač) – $50

I am a firm believer and lover of Plavac Mali. However, sometimes, even the best producers make me shake my head in disappointment, and at others, I’ve stared in awe at a glass of Plavac Mali. This delivers the latter. Notes of dried red fruit, leather, carob, walnut, iodine, anchovy, rose petal, and savory meat rub. The flavors saturate the palate from the start to finish, held together by sweet and integrated tannins. For those who enjoy a well-aged wine with a balanced mix of primary persistence and tertiary complexity, Saints Hills Dingač will delight. Also, keep the food away. This wine is quite a complete meal. Think dried fruit, umami, earthy, savory, and marine.

The finest selection of

Plavac Mali wines

available at:

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Croatian Wines Available in the USA.

************

    Do you want to try Croatian wines?    

If you want to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With many options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

************

Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com, and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

The post Plavac Mali: A Little Blue Goes A Long Way appeared first on Wine Travel.

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Once considered a cheap and insipid wine, Babić is reveling in renewed interest in its potential. What tremendous potential do winemakers see in this indigenous wine grape from Croatia? What sensory advantages does it possess to merit its move from the bottom shelf at a supermarket to eye-level premium merchandizing row, with a three-digit price tag to boot? Exotic Wine Travel tastes what is allegedly the best example of Babić wine to find out.

BABIĆ REDEFINES ITS ROLE IN THE MARKETPLACE

Grown in Dalmatia, Croatia, Babić (pronunciation: Bah-bich) is most likely a relative of Croatia’s flagship red wine grape Plavac Mali—as DNA analysis shows a possible parent-offspring relationship between Babić and Dobričić, while Dobricic is a parent of Plavac Mali (the other parent of Plavac Mali is Tribidrag).

Organopletically, Babić is known for its marked acidity, soft tannins, medium to full body, and a flavor profile similar to Sangiovese—with notes of red cherry, spices, and herbs. With judicious oak integration and aging, Babić can also develop a sweet balsamic quality similar to Sangiovese. The best site for Babić is believed to be the UNESCO-shortlisted Bucavac vineyard, where old goblet vines thrive in poor, rocky soils.

The quality of Babić is highly dependent on yield control and growing conditions. Quoting Croatian wine writer Saša Spiranec, “There is no middle ground with Babić. It is one of those varieties that deliver either a mediocre wine or an ultimate unchallenged experience. We have been witnessing this for decades because the popularity of and market demand for Babić have never lacked, but the quantity of really good labels could always be counted on the fingers of one hand.”

MARKUS FRANZ FERDINAND SMASHES THE GLASS CEILING

Markus Franz Ferdinand is the brainchild of Daniel Szabo and Ivona Jeličić. Made from 100% old-vine Babić, the grapes are picked from Primošten in Northern Dalmatia, put in a refrigerated truck, and transported to a garage winery near Zagreb for vinification. Markus is the name of the winery, while Franz Ferdinand is in reference to Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who was assassinated in 1914, the same year that this old Babić vineyard was planted.

With a production size of merely 300 bottles in selected good years and a retail price of around €150 for a bottle, Markus Franz Ferdinand is one of Croatia’s rarest and most expensive red wines. We recently had a chance to do a vertical tasting of this wine: three vintages in total that are already bottled, with only one vintage currently on the market.

MARKUS BABIĆ 2016

2016 marks the first vintage of Markus Babić. The grapes for this bottling are taken from three different vineyards with goblet vines that are over 60 years old (average age). So the grapes here are not from the same site as the Markus Franz Ferdinand bottling. This is the ‘entry-level’ Babić of Markus Winery, and its retail price is in the €20 range.

MKH: Make no mistake, this is a Mediterranean wine but a pretty one at that. There are notes of dark cherry, purple flower, toast, and sage. It’s full-bodied with grippy tannins and a peppery finish. It’s a great alternative to its more costly big brother. Score: 90/100

CT: Captivating, brine-like bouquet marked by anchovy, maraschino cherry, and dry savory herbs, with a background of warm spices. Wonderful concentration leads to a finish filled with sweet tannins, complicated by a hint of walnut and plentiful freshness. The 14.5% alcohol shows a bit of heat on the finish, but the ultimately complex and generous front-to-mid palate balances the heat. There’s a good level of oxidation and development in this wine to create layers of nuances yet, simultaneously, the wine remains sufficiently youthful and fresh. Prior to tasting the Babić wines from Markus Winery, I used to consider Babić to be Chianti Classico-like. But with the profundity and strength that Markus Winery has repeatedly captured in its Babić wine, I’m starting to think it can be rather Châteauneuf-du-Pape-like. Score: 90+/100

MARKUS FRANZ FERDINAND 101 (2015)

The Markus Franz Ferdinand 101 2015 is the debut vintage of this wine, and it’s the vintage currently on the market. The 101 on the label refers to the age of the vines, which were planted in 1914.

MKH: The nose is complex with hints of violet, black cherry, red plum, pepper, and sage. It’s round on the mid-palate and shows luscious sweet fruit notes. The tannins are fine-grained and guide a long finish. This is in a great drinking place now. Score: 93/100

CT: I wish for a few more hours with this wine. This bottle starts off notably reduced, with matchstick and other sulfurous aromas. But look beyond that and I find this wine to show youthfulness and vividness hidden underneath a robust Mediterranean flavor profile and generous density. This is the fifth time I’m tasting Markus Franz Ferdinand 101, so I know this wine is better than it is showing today. The smokiness and salinity are ever-present in Markus Franz Ferdinand 101 2015. Score: 91+/100

MARKUS FRANZ FERDINAND 102 (2016)

The Markus Franz Ferdinand 102 2016 has been bottled, and it will receive around two more years of bottle aging before release.

MKH: Wowzzaas, I wouldn’t hesitate to call the Markus Franz Ferdinand 102 2016 one of the greatest dry red Croatian wines (other solid candidates are the Kiridžija Dingač 2008, Clai Bastovica Teran 2007, and Saints Hills E.T. Dingač 2011). This wine is in the bottle and will hit the market in less than a year. The nose on this wine is surprisingly more developed than the other two vintages. It has notes of tomato leaf, dark cherry, violets, pepper, and a touch of tangerine peel. The structure is what makes this wine stand out. It’s got fine tannins and an endless finish. For a big red wine, the Markus Franz Ferdinand 102 shows an impeccable balance. Score: 94/100

CT: I’m with Matt on this, that the structure is what ultimately makes this wine a heavyweight champion. There’s a sense of symmetry running through the core of this wine. The flavor profile is dominated by notes of dry walnut, bay leaf, and cherry—so, quite a developed wine in terms of flavor. Since it’s a Babić, there’s a slicing edge of acidity that remains and it’s perfectly welcome. Coupled that with firm and sweet tannins, plus an enthralling concentration, the Markus Franz Ferdinand 102 points me in the direction of Vintage Port. It’s like a coiled spring with so much energy saved and ready to unravel in the future, although I wouldn’t say it’s a monolithic wine—it’s a ready-to-drink-now wine for my fruit-loving palate. I definitely prefer the 2016 vintage to 2015. The Markus Franz Ferdinand 102 2016 has a persistence that’s bound to make wine drinkers go, “Wow!” Score: 93+/100

MARKUS FRANZ FERDINAND 103 (2017)

The Markus Franz Ferdinand 103 2017 is already in the bottle. The slated release date is around 2025.

MKH: It’s distinctive from the previous two vintages of this wine. The blueberry and blackberry tones along with violets, pepper, and bacon fat notes give this wine a Syrah-like feel. This is the fruitiest wine of the bunch and the tannins are big. Once the baby fat falls off and the wood settles, this could be another stunner. Score: 92+/100

CT: Plenty of new oak quality frames the wine and contrasts well with the intense fruit. Compelling bouquet and tightly wound on the palate. The density and profundity of Markus Franz Ferdinand persist in this vintage. A young wine yet it’s already showing amiability that might surpass its peers. I suspect this will be my favorite vintage of Markus Franz Ferdinand in the near future. Stylistically, it reminds me of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape by Domaine de la Solitude. Score: 92+/100

The finest selection of

Markus wines

available at:

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Croatian

Wines Available in the USA.

************

    Do you want to try Croatian wines?    

If you want to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With many options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

************

Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com, and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

Recommended Reading – This is truly an exceptional wine: Markus Franz Ferdinand Babić 2015 by Saša Spiranec!

Please note that the opinions expressed are our own and have not been paid for in any way. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Markus Franz Ferdinand: Bringing Babić to the Forefront of Croatian Wine appeared first on Wine Travel.

Hello! Welcome to As Drunk by Exotic Wine Travel, a weekly column where we feature interesting wines that we encourage you to seek out. The reviews featured in this series may be written by either one or the both of us. The featured wines can be from obscure or well-known wine regions. We hope that these wine recommendations will keep you gastronomically curious and your palate invigorated!

Game Of Thrones Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2015

I might be the only person who knows nothing about the Game of Thrones series. In fact, we were giving a presentation in New York City about Croatian wines and I mentioned that Dubrovnik is where many parts of “king of thrones” were filmed. The audience corrected me instantly, emphatically, and in unison “Game of Thrones!”

When 8wines.com offered us a few samples for us to try, Charine thought it would be interesting to try something from the Game of Thrones wine portfolio (owned by Vintage Wine Estates). The Game of Thrones Red Blend and Game of Thrones Chardonnay are made with fruit from the Central Coast AVA, which means that the grapes could be sourced from a fairly large area in California. If any of these wines were going to be good, I thought the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (fruit can come from any of the 16 sub-AVAs in Napa Valley) would have the best chance.

Bob Cabral is the winemaker of Game of Thrones Cabernet Sauvignon. He’s well known for crafting the first American Pinot Noir to receive 100 points from Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate. After making wine at William Selyem for many years, Bob started his own project and was then contacted by HBO to make the Game of Thrones wine.

Bob is reportedly a Game of Thrones fanatic, but I was still skeptical before trying the wine. Is this just a marketing gimmick, or is there substance inside the bottle?

The Game of Thrones Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2015 isn’t a gimmick. This is some serious juice. It’s full of black cherry, violet, capsicum, and a touch of sweet cedar. The wine is round and silky on the palate with chewy tannins. Bob Cabral did an excellent job of making a young Cabernet Sauvignon accessible and easy to drink for all types of palates while offering enough subtle nuances to serious wine enthusiasts.

For Game of Thrones fans, this is an outstanding wine to bring to dinner or to sip on while watching an episode. For the few people out there that know nothing about Game of Thrones like myself, it’s a flat-out good wine. This is definitely on par, if not better, than many of the standard Napa Valley’s Cabernet Sauvignons (Napa Valley AVA-level, not sub-AVA) out there.

[ap_call_to_action button_text=”Shop Now” button_url=”https://share.www.exoticwinetravel.com/game-of-thrones-cabernet-sauvignon” button_align=”center”]Get €15 off. Use the code “EWT8WO7”.[/ap_call_to_action]

90 points (You can find out more about our scoring system on the Wine Rating page.)

Find or buy this wine and other Game of Thrones wines at 8wines. Use the promo code EWT8WO7 and get €15 off your first purchase of $100 or more. (EU-wide delivery plus Hong Kong, Japan, and Norway.

You May Also Enjoy

• Bob Cabral’s website
• All of the ‘Game of Thrones’ Booze You Can Buy and Collect (So Far), by Food & Wine
• The ‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 8 Premiere Month Has Been Revealed, by Bustle

We received this wine from 8wines.com as a complimentary sample for this review. Please note that the opinions expressed are our own and have not been paid for in any way. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide. 

The post Game Of Thrones Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2015 appeared first on Wine Travel.

In the Spring of 2018, we set out on a re-tour of Croatia to bring our book Cracking Croatian Wine: A Visitor Friendly-Guide to life. There was so much to share about Istria that we ended up shooting four episodes there. This is part 3 of 4 about Istria.

Istrian Gastronomy

In part 1 of Cracking Croatian Wine in Istria, we offer an overview of the wine grape-growing condition and a peek at what Istrian cuisine has to offer. In part 2, we shift the focus to Malvazija Istarska, the most widely planted grape in the region. In this episode, we continue to explore the wines of Istria, but what’s slightly different from our usual videos is the focus on gastronomy.

Istria is a wine region full of culinary delights. The red wines of Istria are generally more acidic and juicier compared to its counterparts from the rest of Croatia. This style of wine goes exceptionally well with food. The white wines of Istria range from the comfortably aromatic and summery fresh style to oaked and age-worthy, both of which can be paired well with seafood, pasta, and cheese.

Istrian Truffles

What visitors shouldn’t miss is the Istarski Tartuf, which means “Istrian Truffle”. It is usually shaved and sprinkled over pasta, steak, scrambled egg, and seafood. White truffles grow in only a few places in the world, including small pockets of Slovenia, Italy, France, and Croatia. Unlike their black counterparts, white truffles grow during specific times of the year. In Istria, the white truffle season is October to February. It is not uncommon to see this white rarity sell for over €2,000 per kilogram.

Istria is arguably the only wine region in Croatia that has managed to marry—in a sustainable, happily-ever-after way—its gastronomic and viticulture traditions and package this marriage in a modern and accessible way to create the ultimate gastronomy experience.

Watch “Cracking Croatian Wine in Istria, Part 3 of 4” on Exotic Wine Travel YouTube:

Timestamps: Cracking Croatian Wine in Istria, Part 3/4

(0:57) Explore a medieval hilltop town called Grožnjan.

(1:22) Meet Ivan Damjanić of Damjanić Winery (Poreč town). Ivan makes one of our favorite Croatian red wines: the Damjanić Clemente.

(2:40) Check out the wine bar ItIstria in the town of Umag. It’s a one-stop place owned by several restaurant owners and wineries like Coronica, Cuj, Degrassi, and Kozlović.

(2:53) Meet Moreno Coronica of Coronica Winery (Umag town). He produces some of Croatia’s greatest white and red wines.

(3:20) Meet Moreno Degrassi of Degrassi Winery (in the coastal town Savudrija). He produces juicy, Italian-style wines that always offer great value for money.

(4:08) We head to the picturesque town of Rovinj and pop by Villa Dobravac for a wine-and-tapas pairing lunch.

(6:08) Come with us to the hilltop town of Buzet. The Prodan Tartufi family helps us hunt for some delicious Istrian truffles for dinner.

(9:04) Check out the different dishes that can be made with Istrian truffles.

(10:22) At the gala dinner of the 25th annual VinIstra, we meet with renowned wine personality Steven Spurrier, Decanter Magazine‘s consultant editor and the organizer of the 1976 Judgment of Paris. We also get a chance to taste his English sparkling wine, the Bride Valley’s Blanc de Blancs 2014.

(10:48) More Istrian culinary delights and a sweet ending from Benvenuti Winery.

(11:36) Preview of the next episode, Cracking Croatian Wine in Istria (Part 4 of 4).

View, like, share the full episode on our Facebook Page:

The finest selection of

Croatian wines available at:

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Croatian Wines Available in the USA.

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    Do you want to try Croatian wines?    

If you’re looking to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With an abundance of options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

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Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

You May Also Enjoy Making Cracking Croatian Wine

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Cracking Croatian Wine in Istria (Part 3/4) appeared first on Wine Travel.

“You’re a really good agriculturist but you’re a bad winemaker.”

Angiolino Maule, La Biancara‘s winemaker and founder, thinks this statement from oenologist Franco Giacosa might have changed the course of his life as a winemaker.

“In the past, I would say a good wine is 90% vineyard and 10% winery. Today, I would say that wine is made in the vineyard, that’s the base. But wine is not fully made in the vineyard.”

Whether it’s made in the vineyard or winery, the point of it all, as Angiolino explains, “It’s about making natural wine without defects. That’s the first goal.”

What is VinNatur?

Founded by Angiolino Maule in 2006, VinNatur is a wine association that unites and supports small producers of natural wines. In 12 years, the association has grown from its original 65 founding members to now representing 190 producers from nine countries: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Going Beyond Organic and Biodynamic

“Natural wine” is an interesting and attractive concept but an ambiguous term in the present-day wine world. The definition of natural wine remains subjective with no official accreditation to support producers who claim to make natural wine, which in turn leads to abuse and criticism—especially around the semantic properties of “natural wine”.

As natural wine continues to rise in popularity, VinNatur plays a paramount role in defining its premises. Going beyond ideological and philosophical ideas, the association has specified a list of permitted and forbidden practices—both in the vineyard and cellar—for its members.

You can take a look at VinNatur’s procedure guideline here, which was put in place in July 2016. All VinNatur wines are officially certified by external laboratories verifying that no pesticides, no herbicides, and no chemical fertilizers have been used in the process of making the wines. Checks are done every year and are mandatory for each producer. The prime objectives are threefold:

• To align members of the association and improve the quality of natural wines through scientific research, lab analysis, and innovative natural winemaking techniques.
• To communicate explicitly to VinNatur’s consumers about how the wines of VinNatur are made.
• To offer VinNatur’s consumers more than self-declarations but guarantees of quality and reliability.

And Moving Forward

Currently, VinNatur is the only natural wine association in Italy that collaborates with universities and research centers. Besides the regular checks and inspections, VinNatur is also delving deeper into the sustainable ecological development of vineyards. The research subjects that VinNatur is working on include soil vitality, entomological and botanical biodiversity of vineyards, and reduction of copper and sulphur usage.

“Our research is based on both observations and scientific data,” says Angiolino.

He continues, “We are focusing on how to replace copper and sulphur with vegetable extracts that help vines to build up resistance. But our most major project is on biodiversity.”

“But if your mind is not mature enough, no methodology is going to work.”

I’m sitting in a Villa Favorita 2018 class, called “Natural Wine Making – The Role of the Cellar”, and I am particularly intrigued by the dialogue’s focus on personal well-being and ethical living. It resonates with me since I only began to appreciate natural wine because it aligns with my lifestyle choices.

The speakers are the aforementioned Franco Giacosa and Angiolino Maule.

The speakers discuss how natural winemakers can take conventional wisdom in life and apply it to minimal-intervention winemaking—from committing to a healthy diet to developing an inner compass of personal values. Following the rules of nature and life, Angiolino says, “But if your mind and philosophy are not mature enough, no methodology is going to work.”

Ultimately, being a VinNatur wine producer requires unwavering commitment built upon personal conviction.

“You have to work on the winemaker’s mindset and convince them that prevention is the way, not chemical treatment.”

Villa Favorita: VinNatur’s Annual Event

Villa Favorita is one of the biggest natural wine fairs in the world. Held at an 18th-century Venetian manor in Sarego (Vicenza, Italy), the three-day annual event serves as a meeting point for producers, distributors, and consumers. The event usually takes place in the same week as Vinitaly, and both event locations are about 50 kilometers apart.

158 producers participated in the 2018 edition where visitors got to taste and purchase the wines made by these VinNatur producers.

The 2018 program was thoughtfully designed to help people discover and learn about natural wines. Besides the walk-about tasting where visitors got to taste wines and speak with winemakers, there were also thematic tastings of volcanic wines and orange wines; masterclasses about minerality in wine and aging wines made without SO2; and dialogue classes like the abovementioned “Natural Wine Making – The Role of the Cellar”.

So let’s address the elephant in the room. Were there a lot of bad wines, funky wines, and wines with faults? The short answer is no. There is no bourgeois high horse to ride on; we’re drinking pretty well here, naturally! I spent two days at the event and tasted over 150 wines; less than 10 of those wines showed perceptible microbiological flaws. It was the first time that I attended VinNatur’s Villa Favorita. According to my more experienced colleagues, the wines of VinNatur have made a tremendous leap in quality over the past three years.

Recommended VinNatur Producers

As stated under “Statute” on the VinNatur’s website:

To produce wine in a natural manner means fully respecting the territory, the vines and nature’s cycle and, through experimentation, limiting the use of invasive and toxic chemical and technological agents both in the vineyard and in the wine cellar. It is the Association’s intent to preserve wine’s individuality from the standardization that chemistry, technology and industrialization have brought to the world of agriculture and particularly to wine related activities.

Viticulture and vinification make up a complex ecosystem where chaos reigns and the balance can so easily tip towards outcomes we don’t desire. I appreciate the VinNatur’s community for its concerted and informed effort to create an as-close-to-ideal-as-possible environment where nature can take its course and leaves us with something beautiful and real. What’s more: the association is doing its part to safeguard soil balance and the ecosystem.

Here are 12 VinNatur producers and wines to be on the lookout for.

1. 1. Barale (Piedmont, Italy)

Another winery that I can’t wait to taste more from: Barale Fratelli. I had a chance to try one wine from them at @vinnatur_org’s #VillaFavorita2018 and it’s this alluring Barolo. It seems outrageous that this Barolo Castellero 2014 Barolo is so drinkable right now. The essence of rose and fresh red cherry are built into its core. Dried savory herbs and a light hint of earthy characteristic penetrate the edges. A Barolo on the finesse side.

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 22, 2018 at 10:58am PDT

1. 1. Éric Texier (Rhône, France)

Quite possibly my favorite red at @vinnatur_org’s #VillaFavorita2018. Éric Texier’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015 captures the intense purity of precious old-vine fruit in a bag of finesse. Native-yeast, whole-cluster fermentation with one-week maceration without punchdown (that lightness!). Aged in old oak barrels. Unfined and unfiltered wine. The early picking is quite apparent. No way, it’s not green at all. The phenolic ripeness is perfect. It’s the fresh acidity and splendid fresh fruit flavors that tell the details. This might be the most elegant and aromatic Châteauneuf-du-Pape I’ve ever tasted. It gives me the same emotions I got when I had my first taste of Tignanello (my bourgeois ghost never dies). Drink from 2020-2030.

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 22, 2018 at 10:11pm PDT

1. 1. Daniele Portinari (Veneto, Italy)

I gave myself the challenge of picking just one white grape wine and one red grape wine to take home from @vinnatur_org’s #villafavorita18. The @daniele_portinari’s Garganega was my final choice for the white. 📝 This wine underwent one day of maceration and was fermented in steel tanks. I appreciate the spicy nose which has a bit of red wine’s character. Soft in the mouth with floral nuances and a gentle tug of tannins. 👌🏼 I picked this because, well, I enjoy the wine and Garganega is an indigenous grape of Veneto. I also wanted to buy wine from a new producer or young winemaker with a small production size.

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 16, 2018 at 4:08am PDT

1. 1. Fongoli (Umbria, Italy)

If it’s Montefalco, I want it. @cantina_fongoli’s “Serpullo” Montefalco Rosso Riservs is a blend of predominantly Sangiovese with some Sagrantino, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The grapes were picked from 40-year-old vines. Spontaneous fermentation happened in open vats. Aging took place in large, neutral Slavonian casks for three years. No fining, no filtration. Good ol’ @vinnatur_org style. 🍷The 14.5% abv is very well-integrated. A big wine that should be served later in the night. I adore the massive load of plum flavor perked up by maraschino cherry. A little bit of leather. A little bit of candlewax. A balanced full-bodied wine that is neither too indulgent nor made up.

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 21, 2018 at 5:43pm PDT

1. 1. Gratavinum (Priorat, Spain)

(Click on the right arrow icon on the photo to view more images.)

Yay! I finally had a chance to taste the wines of @gratavinum, thanks to @vinnatur_org! Priorat + Demeter certified + working with amphora = totally my kind of deal. The Gratavinum’s Silvestris Priorat 2015 (4th photo) was selected by @decanter’s Andrew Jefford as the top 10 wines at a blind tasting of 122 natural wines. Interestingly, my best impression goes to the one and only white and a non-Priorat at that (5th photo): Amphora Roja 2017 (Xerel-lo). It’s spicy, minerally, and wonderfully distinct. All the reds are good too; and despite the price difference of nearly $70 between some, they belong to the same band of quality for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 22, 2018 at 10:37am PDT

1. 1. Heinrich (Burgenland, Austria)

Spent the day in classes and conducting interviews. By the time I was ready for tasting, I had less than an hour left at @vinnatur_org’s #VillaFavorita2018. I thought the most effective way to spend the last hour would be in the media room, get some turbo-charged tasting going on and only note down the wines that really stop me in my tracks. And this Heinrich’s Blaufränkisch Leithaberg 2014 did exactly that. It wasn’t my first encounter with Heinrich’s wines, and now I’m completely baffled why I didn’t give them any attention in the past. This Blaufränkisch is structured and defined like a professional pumpkin carving. The flavors are packed seamlessly like a turducken—rich, complex, and utterly fascinating. A wine that I want poured into every glass at my thanksgiving dinner.

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 18, 2018 at 11:37am PDT

1. 1. Mas Zenitude (Languedoc, France)

(Click on the right arrow icon on the photo to view more images.)

@maszenitude was one of my favorite discoveries at @vinnatur_org’s #villafavorita2018. Located in the Herault wine region in Languedoc, Mas Zenitude practices biodynamic farming and never adds S02 in the cellar. The Mas Zenitude’s Carignan wines are interesting, and I think it would appeal to many people; but I find them to be too savory and earthy and not enough fruit for my palate. I am, however, incredibly fond of “Zenith” Syrah 2012, a stunning 100% Syrah wine that delivers a floral overtone, high flavor intensity, and precise structure—it was one of the three reds that I wanted to buy but didn’t have time to head back on the last day of the event.

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 30, 2018 at 6:25am PDT

1. 1. Reyter (Alto Adige, Italy)

Alto Adige’s producer Reyter makes a “Rahm” Lagrein wine with grapes from 80-year-old vines, which are rooted in sandy clay porphyry alluvial soil with rocky sediments. The vineyards are farmed with ecological philosophy and the vinification is aligned with @vinnatur_org. Reyter’s Rahm is deep, dark, somber, and demands a drinker’s undivided attention. It’s quite an intellectually and sensually compelling wine, and oddly, I think some dubstep music would go well with it.

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 24, 2018 at 7:15am PDT

1. 1. Rocco di Carpeneto (Piedmont, Italy)

Tasted three Barbera bottlings by Rocco di Carpento at @vinnatur_org’s #villafavorita2018, and they ranged from good to very good and outstanding. I was most fond of the amphora-fermented Barbera, which was the most structured and rounded up—a tad ‘un-Barbera’ in the most delightful way. The one in the photo, Reitemp, is an old-vine bottling; it showed a good balance of the fruity, earthy, and herbal parts. The structure was juicier and ‘messier’—exactly what a Barbera lover loves: a sense of rusticity like a simple, delicious and wholesome meal.

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 16, 2018 at 8:02am PDT

1. 1. Tarlant (Champagne, Italy)

Yes yes yes! @tarlant’s Cuvée Louis had been on my wishlist for years. I finally had a chance to try it at @vinnatur_org last weekend. This wine is born from the vines planted by the late Louis Tarlant, who was the mayor of the Oeuilly village and a leader in the grower movement to regulate and protect Champagne production; his efforts resulted in the creation of the Champagne AOC in 1927. Louis Tarlant was also one of the early adopters of zero dosage. This Cuvée Louis is a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from five vintages, 1996-2000. Primary fermentation was done in barriques, no malolactic fermentation, and 15 years in the bottle before disgorgement. It’s chiseled, chalky, light, creamy, and profoundly layered. I definitely need to put a few of this in my cellar.

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 16, 2018 at 7:03am PDT

1. 1. Terpin (Friuli, Italy)

(Click on the right arrow icon on the photo to view more images.)

Managed to check off a few wish-listed wines at @vinnatur_org’s #VillaFavorita including a well-aged Terpin’s Ribolla Gialla. Marvelous, just a marvelously detailed wine. Musky overtone, cinnamon, nutmeg, all the sweet brown spices, baked apple, then the savory green herbs hit, oregano for days, the flavors coat every inch of the mouth, structured with tannins striking at an almost perfect vantage point… oh my, I could go on but I shouldn’t so I wouldn’t. The Terpin Jakot is impressive as well. Jakot, don’t you love Jakot/Tocai Friulano? Such a juicy, orangey wine! The Terpin Jakot seems to capture Franco Terpin in a bottle: bright, bold, and rigorous. The surprise for me comes from Terpin’s Sauvignon Blanc—gently aromatic and throws more punches on the palate than on the nose.

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 21, 2018 at 2:44pm PDT

1. 1. Thomas  Niedermayr (Alto Adige, Italy)

Thomas Niedermayr from Alto Adige was one of the wineries that I marked out and wanted to taste from at @vinnatur_org’s #VillaFavorita2018. Unfortunately, my to-do list was still far too ambitious for the nature of time. Thankfully, at dinner on the last evening, the winemaker Thomas happened to sit next to me. That was when I had a chance to try his Souvignier Gris, a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Bronner. The wine left such a good impression that I’ll be sure to never miss another chance of tasting Thomas Niedermayr’s wine again. The winery works with PIWIs, which means fungus-resistant grape varieties—including Solaris and Bronner.

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 22, 2018 at 10:11am PDT

– Thank you Emma Bently for helping me with translation during the Villa Favorita 2018’s classes.
– Thank you Irene Graziotto, Studio Cru, and the VinNatur for hosting me.

You May Also Enjoy

• Amber Revolution: Orange Wine Now Gets A Voice
• Fruška Gora: The Innovative Serbian Wine Region
• Krauthaker Kuvlakhe: Amber Wine from Slavonia

The post VinNatur: A Proponent of Checks and Balances appeared first on Wine Travel.

It seems apt to introduce Winery Jerković (pronounce yer-koh-vich) on this day as the Croatia national football team takes on France at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final in a few hours. Why is that? What do Winery Jerković and football have in common?

First: Winery Jerković is located in Imotski, and that’s where striker Ante Rebić is originally from.

Second: Winemaker Mate Jerković was on the path to becoming a professional football player when his father Ivan Jerković passed away, and it was necessary for Mate to return to his hometown and take over the operations of the winery.

Jerković Winery (Runović, Imotski, Dalmatia Wine Region)

Founded in 1998, Jerković winery works with two indigenous wine grapes, Kujundžuša and Rudežuša. The winery is located in the village of Runović, tucked between the Imotski Valley of Croatia and the Mračaj Hill of Bosnia-Herzegovina. This area has been known for growing wine grapes since the Ancient Roman period. Relating back to the context of football, Runović is home to two former captains of the Croatian and Yugoslavian national football teams in addition to a handful of other outstanding players.

“My family has practically been in wine production forever, and my late father began more serious production in 1998. Living in Runović means constant contact with vines, as we are surrounded by vineyards, so without exaggeration we can all say we were born in the vineyard. And with a football.”
– Mate Jerković (pictured above), as quoted in Dalmatia Wine Story 

EXOTIC WINE TRAVEL RECOMMENDS:

Jerković Kujundžuša 2016

Wine Grape: Kujundžuša (pronounce Kew-yund-zhew-shah)

Kujundžuša occupies nearly 90 percent of the vineyard area in Imotski valley and 240 hectares in the country. However, there are only a few producers making varietal wine from it. Mate’s late father was known as the steward of this grape and helped to elevate the image of it.

The Jerković Kujundžuša 2016 has a fresh and breezy nose, with definite aromas of lemon and pear. On the palate, the wine tastes more ripe with characteristics of stone fruit. The acidity is appropriate and the saline undertone makes this wine interesting. At 11.5 ABV, this easy-to-drink white delivers quite a lot of sensory merits. A crowd-pleaser that would go great with young cheese.

Buy Jerković Kujundžuša 2016 from Wine&more (EU-wide and UK delivery).

[1:50 to 5:22] Watch us taste this wine (2015 vintage) for the first time in February 2017.

Jerković Mračaj 2013

Wine grape: Rudežuša (pronounce Roo-deh-zhoo-shah)

Rudežuša is considered native to Imotski and also western Herzegovina. Called “Trnjak” in Herzegovina, it is typically planted alongside Blatina to promote pollination. Today, it has around 16 hectares of planting in Croatia.

Rudežuša tends to produce high content of sugar and average acidity. Thanks to its high level of polyphenols, Rudežuša offers good weight and structure when vinified properly. There are only a few Croatian wine producers working with this variety, and the limited results have shown great promise. However, it seems the full potential of this grape is not understood yet.

The Jerković Mračaj 2013 (“Mračaj” is the name of the vineyard location) has a bouquet marked by ripe dark fruit, raisin, desiccated herb, and cocoa powder—very Primitivo di Manduria-like. On the palate, it feels rather dense at first with supple tannins that hit the mid-plalate. However, the taste takes a refreshing twist as it shows a good level of acidity and red fruit flavors. It would be hard to guess that this wine contains less than 12% alcohol. This is an enigma of a wine that would appeal to wine geeks. Pair this wine with a sweet and slightly greasy meat, perhaps a lamb shawarma.

Buy Jerković Mračaj 2013 from Wine&more (EU-wide and UK delivery).

[0:23 to 4:10] Watch us taste this wine (2012 vintage) for the first time in February 2017.

The finest selection of

Croatian wines available at:

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Croatian Wines Available in the USA.

************

    Do you want to try Croatian wines?    

If you’re looking to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With an abundance of options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

************

Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

Featured image by fifa.com.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Go Cro, Drink Cro: Croatian Wines for FIFA World Cup 2018 appeared first on Wine Travel.

In the Spring of 2018, we set out on a re-tour of Croatia to bring our book Cracking Croatian Wine: A Visitor Friendly-Guide to life. Our first stop on this journey was Plešivica. It’s a wine region that delivers some of the best Croatian wines but somehow still receives little attention.

The Plešivica Wine Region of Croatia

Plešivica is located in the western part of Central Croatia, less than 30 kilometers southwest of Zagreb.

This wine region experiences a continental climate. The mean annual temperature is around 11°C, with a mean temperature of 18°C during the growing season. The annual precipitation is slightly over 1,000 millimeters, half of which falls during the growing season.

This wine region receives around 1,870 hours of sunshine annually. Most of the vineyards face south; the aspect enables the grapes to receive sufficient sunshine for proper ripening. The vineyards lie on rolling hills, starting from 200 meters in elevation up to over 400 meters. The elevation and early morning fog help to retain the grapes’ acidity. The soil substrate, composed of mainly limestone and marl, further promotes the production of acidity in grapes.
 

Croatian Wines from Plešivica

Plešivica is touted as “Croatia’s Champagne”. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (“Pinot Crni” in Croatian) thrive here; both varieties are used for making sparkling wine and still wine. Other notable wine grapes include Muškat Žuti (Yellow Muscat), Plavec Žuti, Portugizer (Blauer Portugieser), Rizling (Riesling), Rizvanac (Müller-Thurgau), Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah.

There are around 30 producers in this area. Most of them own small plots of vineyards amounting to less than 10 hectares per producer. We would say about 10 of those producers are worth seeking out and a handful are outstanding. The outstanding ones, in our opinion, are in the league of the top 10 percent of the best producers in the country. This means that you’ll need merely two to three days to explore Plešivica in order to have a fundamental understanding of this wine region.

While Plešivica may seem small in geographical and production size, it is arguably the most exciting and ‘experimental’ wine region in the country. When in Plešivica, you can enjoy wine made in amphora, orange wine made in oxidative style, sparkling wine made in the traditional method and aged for four years on the lees, Pinot Noir redolent of Santa Maria Valley AVA’s quality, and cool-climate Syrah.

 
YOUR CHEAT SHEET TO PLEŠIVICA 
[ap_list list_type=”ap-list2″]
[ap_li]EAT: Restoran Ivančić, Restoran Karlo[/ap_li]
[ap_li]DRINK: Ivančič Winery, Korak Winery, Šember Winery, Tomac Winery[/ap_li]
[ap_li]STAY: Guesthouse Režekov Podrum in Plešivica (budget option), Hotel Princess in Jastrebarsko (mid-range option), Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb (luxury option)[/ap_li]
[/ap_list]

Watch “Cracking Croatian Wine in Plešivica” on Exotic Wine Travel YouTube:

Timestamps: Cracking Croatian Wine in Plešivica

(1:06) Introduction to the Plešivica wine region.

(1:47) Meet Krešimir Ivančič of Ivančič Winery. Learn why he uses the wine grapes Portugieser and Müller-Thurgau for his sparkling wines.

(4:22) Tourism infrastructure is limited in Plešivica. However, its proximity to Croatia’s capital city Zagreb makes it accessible. Visitors can choose to stay in Zagreb and make day trips to this wine region. Alternatively, this quality guesthouse, Režekov Podrum, can also provide a good night sleep plus tranquil views of the countryside.

(5:00) Meet the Šember family. Šember Winery is crafting delicious sparkling wines and juicy Pinot Noir. In this episode, Nikola Šember, son of the winery’s headman Zdenko Šember,  introduces the new premium sparkling wine Šember Pavel Pjenušac Brut.

(6:05) Meet Tomislav Tomac of Tomac Winery. This winery is best known for their sparkling wines and still wines made in amphora (Georgian Qvevri).

(8:47) We dine at Restoran Ivančič. one of the high-quality restaurants in the region. It boasts panoramic views of the Plešivica wine region and offers seasonal meals.

(9:35) We visit Korak Winery, a producer that many Croatian winemakers adore. Korak produces excellent white wines and sparkling wines but Josip Korak explains that, together with his father Velimir Korak, their true passion is Pinot Noir.

(13:00) A preview of the next episode, Cracking Croatian Wine in Istria (Part 1/4).

View, like, share the full episode on our Facebook Page:

The finest selection of

Croatian wines available at:

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Check out Croatian Wines Available in the USA.

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    Do you want to try Croatian wines?    

If you’re looking to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With an abundance of options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

************

Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

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Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Cracking Croatian Wine in Plešivica appeared first on Wine Travel.

2017 marked the third year of our location-independent lifestyle and the second year of our wine career. It was a momentous year for us—in the span of 12 months, we authored and published our second and third wine book Sipping Santa Barbara and Cracking Croatian Wine, traveled to seven countries, and tasted over 2,000 wines. For professional development reasons, we usually aim to taste at least 3,000 wines every year. However, because of our publishing deadlines, we were relatively sedentary in 2017 as we spent more than half of the year in Croatia and Serbia while finishing the production of our books; the other six months, we were traveling in the wine regions of Austria, Cyprus, Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Sardinia), Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia. In all the countries that we visited, we managed to find outstanding wines in every one of them. We mean… magnificent… unforgettable… outstanding… knockouts.

All in all, it was a rewarding year if we measure it out in wine glasses.

So here we go again: our favorite wines of the year. As advocates for diversity in wine and “Drink Adventurously” (our tagline), we hope our list reveals the ever-expanding choices that are available to wine lovers. While these 17 wines have been chosen based on, first and foremost, their sensory merits, other aspects are also taken into consideration. Did the wine teach us something new? Did it make us re-examine our assumptions? Did it spark curiosity or inspire conversations? Did it have a story or human element that mean something special to us? Ultimately, these are wines that we would highly recommend you, our wine-loving reader, to seek out.

SPARKLING WINE

Charles Heidsieck, Blanc des Millenaires 1995 – Champagne, France

We tasted this at a Charles Heidsieck workshop organized by VinArt Grand Tasting in Zagreb, Croatia. The presenter Drazan Sunjic was also our WSET teacher. Drazan knows the Champagne region and Champagne Charlie inside out. So it was an honor to have him share his knowledge and passion with us. The Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires 1995 was the last wine of the tasting, and it wowed everyone in the room. Made from 100% Chardonnay, this bottle was disgorged in 2015. 19 years of lees aging, woohoo! Following 1983, 1985, and 1990, 1995 is only the fourth vintage of this tête de cuvée Champagne.

Why we love it: We had a hard time choosing between this and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2006. We ended up picking Charles Heidsieck over Taittinger because it’s more developed at this point. The Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires 1995 is a wine that must be tasted, not described.

Learn More | Best Of Vinart Grand Tasting 2017: Part 2

WHITE WINE

Bott Frigyes, Super Granum 2015 – Južnoslovenská, Slovakia

Bott Frigyes is an ethnic Hungarian living in South Slovakia. We first heard about his wines from Ernő Sagmeister of Dukay-Sagmeister winery in Serbia. If one of our favorite wine producers suggests we try the wines of another producer, we will follow the recommendation dutifully.

And so we did. During our two-week press tour in Slovakia, we had the chance to spend a night at the guesthouse of Bott Frigyes. Thank you, Tibor Vittek and Peter Drotár for organizing. After an elaborate tasting and dinner, Bott and his family left the guesthouse but not before trying to make us feel the most welcome.

 

Spending the night at one of our favorite wineries in Slovakia. And guess what, it’s “open cellar” night!

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Dec 5, 2017 at 12:38pm PST

“Help yourself to the wines.” Bott had left all the bottles that we tasted in the dining room. It was a long work day; we were knackered, but nothing was going to stop us from enjoying a nightcap.

 Why we love it: Bott Frigyes Super Granum 2015 is a barrel-fermented cuvée of Furmint, Hárslevelü, and Juhfark. Exciting grapes? Check. The wine has a head-turning bouquet, vivid flavors, and an undeniable mineral characteristic. The quality level, irresistible refreshingness, subtle nuances, tension, and texture of this wine remind us of the best of Chablis.  

Nikolaihof, Vinothek Riesling 2000 – Wachau, Austria

We were fortunate to drink this wine twice in 2017: the first time was at a workshop in Zagreb, Croatia, and the second time was at Austrian winemaker Hartmut Aubell‘s birthday celebration. The 1995 vintage of Nikolaihof Vinothek Riesling was the first Austrian wine to receive 100 points from Robert Parker. Aged for 16 years in 3,500-liter oak cask and bottled in 2016, the 2000 vintage is the winery’s latest release of this wine.

Why we love it: It may be the greatest white wine that Matt has ever tasted. Also, this wine is a capsule of many fond memories—from our trip to Graz, Austria, to this…

A photo of our friend, Vjekoslav Stojišić, when he tasted this wine. Photo from: www.facebook.com/vinartgrandtasting

Learn More | Best Of Vinart Grand Tasting 2017: Part 1

RED WINE

Antinori, Solaia 2010 – Tuscany, Italy

One of the illustrious Aia’s of Tuscany… Ornellaia, Sassicaia, and Solaia. Antonio Galloni of Vinous wrote,” The 2010 is the greatest Solaia ever made.” We tend to agree with Galloni’s reviews, so when we found this 98-point wine—with an irresistible price tag to boot—in Belgrade, Serbia, it was a non-negotiable situation: let’s get it. Antinori Solaia is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Franc.

Why we love it: We opened this wine on May 22 to celebrate the second anniversary of our location-independent lifestyle. It was our first taste of Solaia, and it delivered more than we had imagined. Unfortunately, we did a disservice to this wine by drinking it at such a young age. Nevertheless, it showed a formidable marriage between finesse and power.

Concha y Toro, Don Melchor 2007 – Maipo Valley, Chile

 

A moment of truth: has it all been a misplaced love or is the Serbian Kremen Kamen by Matalj winery one of the greatest reds? We put the Kremen Kamen wines up to a taste test next to Don Melchor (listed 8 times on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list) and are glad to see that Kremen Kamen is indeed a wine of great substance. Now that our love and faith in Serbian wine are justified, we wish our dear friend from Matalj winery that Kremen Kamen will have the same impact on Serbian wine industry as Don Melchor has on the Chilean wine image.

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In May 2017, we were in the final production stage of two books and inching towards being burned out. Matt decided to purchase a few iconic wines as a form of encouragement and pick-me-up. The stash included Antinori Solaia 2010 (listed above), Antinori Tignanello 2011, Donnafugata Mille e una Notte 2012, Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve 2009, Fontodi Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2011 (listed below), M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine 2010, and this—our good ol’ Don Melchor, a wine we used to drink a fair bit back in Singapore. Three out of those seven wines ended up being our “wine of the year”, so it was a perceptive splurge by Matt.

Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of Merlot, this wine has been listed eight times on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list, and the 2007 vintage scored 94+ points from The Wine Advocate by Robert Parker. We were in Serbia at that time so we thought we’d make a fun tasting out of this bottle. After all, it’s not often that one can find a 10-year-old Don Melchor on the shelf. We met up with Nikola Mladenović Matalj, the owner and winemaker of Matalj winery, and arranged a vertical tasting of his Matalj Kremen Kamen (which was in our Top 16 of 2016 list) along this wine.

Why we love it: We were fortunate to catch Don Melchor 2007 at its prime drinking window: the wine was showing the perfect balance between primary and tertiary notes. This remains to be the best bottle/vintage of Don Melchor we’ve tasted.

Learn More | Matalj Kremen Kamen: A Vertical Tasting

Fontodi, Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo 2011 – Tuscany, Italy

 

2011 Fontodi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo. A burly Chianti with 15% abv, fruit flavors so intense that they are redolent of berry strips, and 6% acidity that disciplines the many layers into a harmonious unity. This wine is approaching the window of great drinkability but clearly has many more years of evolvement ahead before unveiling its peak. Flavors of sour cherry, black plum, tobacco, licorice, sweet cedar, cinnamon stick, and leather. Chewy tannins lead to a lengthy, strikingly tart yet sweet finish. This is a divisive wine as we’ve just drunk a bottle of 2011 Tignanello. Matt prefers the Tignanello because he thinks it has higher drinkability now. Charine prefers this wine for its powerful attack.

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 12, 2017 at 8:38am PDT

We had a bottle of Fontodi Chianti Classico on our first date. That wine turned out to be a favorable choice for us in more than one way. So five years later, it was time to step up and give this Gran Selezione version a try.

Why we love it: It was a tough choice between this and its preeminent sibling, the Fontodi Flaccianello Della Pieve. In the end, this burly Chianti took the spot because of its current accessibility. And, to us, it’s simply more distinctive and more memorable than Flaccianello 2009. This wine is so good that it may even make your burp smell good.

Francuska Vinarija, Obećanje 2009 – Negotin, Serbia

 

I guess it’s no surprise that the Serbian winery Francuska Vinarija’s headliner is this Gamay bottling, since the proprietors are from Burgundy. Bouquet of predominantly redcurrant, maraschino cherry, and chalk, with lingering notes of white pepper, lilac, and leather in the background. Structured with juicy acidity and ripe fruit sweetness on the palate. For a 2009 wine, it’s incredible that I feel a tad sad for drinking it too early. In 2 to 3 years, the leather character will probably become more pronounced, and I expect a bit more tobacco leaf and earthy notes that can make this wine more nuanced than it already is. I was going to say it is more Fleurie in style but later decided that a reference to an aged Saint-Armour might be more accurate.

A post shared by Charine Tan (@charinetan) on Sep 25, 2017 at 11:26am PDT

Located in East Serbia, Francuska Vinarija, which translates to “French Winery”, is owned and operated by a Burgundian couple. These wines are not available in Serbia as the entire production is exported, mostly to France. It took us nearly two years to track these wines down: our friend had some bottles in his cellar, and he offered a case for us to taste. We were impressed with all the Francuska Vinarija’s wines that we tried. However, this Gamay bottling called Obećanje was a cut above the rest. The name Obećanje means “the promise”.

Why we love it: It’s the best non-Cru Beaujolais Gamay we’ve tasted.

Learn More | Serbian Grand Cru on the Slopes of Danube

Jakončič, Carolina Select 2006 – Brda, Slovenia

Prior to our 2017 trip to Brda, Slovenia, we knew nothing about Jakončič winery. We only found out about them when we arrived in Slovenia and Matjaž Zagradišnik from the winery reached out to us with a cellar invitation. Throughout the tasting, we were happy with the wines. Then, we got to the Grand Vin—Carolina Select, a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon—and it was an epic slam dunk. A wine that is built to age for decades, Jakončič Carolina Select is a wine with a waiting list and rightfully so.

Why we love it: Jakončič Carolina Select 2006 is a superlative Merlot. When we tasted this wine, it was immediately clear to us that it would be a highlight of the year. It has an opulent bouquet, full and luscious texture, intense fruit attack on the palate, and a persistent, focused finish. 

Learn More | Marjan Simčič and Jakončič: Classically Styled Slovenian Wine

Kozlović, Santa Lucia Noir 2012 – Istria, Croatia

Another tough selection. We shortlisted Clai Brombonero Refošk 2011, Clai Sv. Jakov Malvazija, 2011, Coronica Gran Teran 2011, Trapan The One 2012, and this wine for the article. All of them are from Istria, Croatia. We ended up choosing Kozlović Santa Lucia Noir 2012 because of its current appeal balanced with future potential. It’s a wine that will undoubtedly appeal to many.

Made only in exceptionally great years, Kozlović Santa Lucia Noir 2012 is a 50-30-20 blend of Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon-Teran from the Santa Lucia Vineyard, an area that is best known for its mineral-driven whites. We were so glad that we managed to taste this wine right before finalizing our manuscript of Cracking Croatian Wine.

Why we love it: It’s a “Super Istrian”, so to speak.  This wine retains Teran’s tingling acidity and ferrous aroma while putting on some luxurious, Bordeaux-esque contours.

Learn More | 10 Istrian Wines to Try

Miani, Merlot Buri 2013 – Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

In January, we spent a week in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The winery that left the deepest impression was Miani, a recommendation that came from Antonio Galloni’s Vinous forum. When we posted on the forum seeking suggestions for “only the best wineries in Friuli”, one member replied, “There can only be one… Miani.”

Why we love it: The finest essence in a bottle. Want to know what soaring intensity feels like? This is your bottle. It’s one of the greatest Merlots we’ve tasted.

Learn More |  Miani: What Wine Dreams are Made of

Vylyan Duennium 2006 – Villány, Hungary

We first tasted Vylyan’s wine at a Villányi Franc workshop in February 2017. It was one of the two Villányi Cabernet Francs that stood out to us. A few months later, we had the chance to visit the winery. And as you might expect, we went with high expectations. By the end of our one-month stay in Hungary, we concluded that Vylyan remains as our top 10 favorite wineries in the country. Vylyan Duennium is a Cabernet Franc-based wine. For 2006 Duennium, some Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon were also added to the cuvée.

Why we love this: It was our favorite wine during our three-day tasting trip in Villány. Exceptionally youthful for its age, this is a wine that shows a sense of place. We would love to share a bottle with our collector friends in the future.

SKIN CONTACT WINE

Dario Prinčič, Bianco Trebež 2012 – Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Charine spotted the Dario Prinčič Bianco Trebež 2012 at an inconspicuous wine bar in Belgrade, Serbia. It was tucked clumsily in a corner of the wine fridge. Every time we see Dario Prinčič’s wine, it would be a done deal. We requested to purchase the wine, but as it turned out, the wine was not for sale;  it belonged to the bar’s owner. When the owner heard about our request and saw our enthusiasm, he decided to open a bottle and shared it with us. Dario Prinčič Bianco Trebežis is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio.

Why we love it: It’s a poised and complete amber wine with an allure that keeps us coming back for more. We were introduced to Dario Prinčič by our friend, John Wurdeman of Pheasant’s Tears Winery (Georgia). Since our first bottle with John, we’ve shared many bottles of Bianco Trebež with various people. In a way, this wine is like a torque to us: centralizing and generalizing friendships through the vinous power.

Movia, Lunar 8 2008 – Brda, Slovenia

This wine was tied with Movia Puro 2010 in terms of sensory merits. We ended up choosing Movia Lunar 8 because of the context in which we drank it. On Matt’s 35th birthday, we shared a magnum of this wine with a group of winemakers, wine writers, and wine enthusiasts in Zagreb, Croatia. We tasted more than 10 wines that night, and this was the “Wine of the Night” with nearly full consensus. Movia Lunar 8 is made from 100% Rebula.

Why we love it: Charine said, “This wine is so good that it makes me feel like I’m drinking above my station.” It’s a wine that can arouse much pride, desire, delight, curiosity, and awareness.

Learn More | Kabaj and Movia: Slovenian Wines with Big Personalities

Radikon, Fuori dal Tempo 2001 -Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Radikon was on our “Do Not Miss” list when we traveled to Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Our visit came less than five months after Stanko Radikon’s passing in the fall of 2016, and the family was missing Stanko dearly. Fuori dal Tempo means “outside of time”. This is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Sauvignon Blanc. 

Why we love it: At the time of our visit in January 2017, this was the second vintage confirmed for this bottling. Charine teared up when she tasted this wine. Radikon Fuori dal Tempo 2001 hovers on the palate with exquisite grace. It’s a sublime masterpiece that was personally crafted by Stanko Radikon.

Learn More | Gravner and Radikon: Italian Wines Without Compromise

SWEET WINE

The Anama Concept, Anama Vintage 2012 – Commandaria, Cyprus

In February 2017, we were on a two-week press tour in Cyprus. The Anama Concept wasn’t included in our official itinerary. But thanks to our friend George Gkenos, we found our way to the home of Lefteris Mohianakis and Kristina Apostolou Mohianakis—the husband-and-wife team behind this designer-chic producer.

The Anama Concept’s Anama Vintage cannot be officially called “Commandaria” because it’s made outside of the 14 designated Commandaria villages. But it’s still that time-tested, familiar taste of Cyprus’s most famous sweet wine made from the raisined grapes of Mavro and Xinisteri—both indigenous to Cyprus. This is the only wine that The Anama Concept produces, and the production is around 2,000 bottles per year.

Why we love it: The Anama Concept has taken one of the oldest wine brands in the world, preserved the tenets of Commandaria’s story, revitalized its image, refined its taste, and given it a time-relevant makeover. This wasn’t the only Commandaria-style wine that we loved during our Cyprus trip, but it stood out the most because of its dried fruit and citrus qualities, meaning it was less oxidative-tasting than most Commandaria wines. We also respect the vision of The Anama Concept and cherish the intimate time spent with Lefteris and Kristina at their home.

Learn More | Cyprus Sweet Wines: Commandaria and More

Tokaj & Co., 5 Putñovy 1990 – Tokaj, Slovakia

Tokaj & Co. was a state-run winery during the communist era in Czechoslovakia. The winery is now privately owned. The Tokaj & Co., 5 Putñovy 1990 is part of a limited-edition, archive wine release, which means it is still readily available on the market. The 127g/l of residual sugar is supported by 11g of total acidity.

Why we love it: During our two-week trip through the wine regions of Slovakia, this was arguably the most compelling Slovak wine that we tasted. True to the sweet Tokaji of that era, this wine is oxidative in style and densely packed but without heaviness. The botanical bouquet draws us in and the sugar-acid balance gives it dominance and youth. The front load of dried sweet fruit flavors are contrasted by a tart and spicy finish. This is a living example that great sweet Tokaji can be found in Slovakia.

Video | Exotic Wine Travel in Slovak Tokaj

Vega Sicilia, Oremus, Tokaji Eszencia 2007 – Tokaj, Hungary

Tokaji Eszencia is the rarest and most expensive of all the wines made in Tokaj. Prior to our 2017 wine trip to Hungary, we didn’t care much for Tokaji Eszencia. The idea of an exceptionally viscous wine with at least 450g/l residual sugar and 1-5% ABV was odd-sounding. Would it still taste like wine? Do people really drink it from a spoon?

Our visit at Oremus was set up by our friends from Wine Elite. During the tasting, we had the chance to try some rare, aged Tokaji Aszú wines including a 1956 vintage and a 1972. 1956 is a significant year because of the Hungarian Revolution and 1972 is widely touted as “the best vintage of the last century in Tokaj”. Still, Tokaji Eszencia 2007 was the transcendent one.

Why we love it: When we visited Tokaj, Charine was searching for the ‘Chateau d’Yquem of Hungary’. She found it in this exquisite bottle. Like pure energy in a bottle, drinking this wine makes us feel… healed. Vega Sicilia Oremus Tokaji Eszencia 2007 has 515g/l residual sugar, 15g/l total acidity, and 3% ABV. Those are some enticing numbers tucked in an extraordinary wine.

Video | Exotic Wine Travel in Tokaj, Hungary

This list seems fundamentally incomplete without a rosé wine. So here’s the most exciting rosé we’ve tasted in 2017: Gut Oggau Brutal Rosé 2016

The finest selection of wines

available at:

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Croatian Wines Available in the USA.

************

    Do you want to try Croatian wines?    

If you’re looking to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With an abundance of options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

************

Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Exotic Wine Travel’s 17 Wines of 2017 appeared first on Wine Travel.

In June 2017, the inaugural Zagreb Bubbles festival was held in Croatia’s capital city. The Zagreb Bubbles is the first sparkling wine-themed event in Croatia. Over 100 sparkling wine producers, both domestic and international, participated in the event. The festival kicked off with a few days of peripheral programs and workshops, which led up to the main show on a Saturday afternoon.

Sparkling wine is becoming increasingly popular in Croatia. Croatian wine producers are utilizing both the Charmat method (think Prosecco) and classic method (think Champagne) to make their sparkling wines. For now, the Plešivica wine region is the king of Croatian sparkling wine with Ivančić, Korak, Šember, and Tomac leading the way. There are some solid examples coming out of Istria, Slavonia, and Dalmatia too. Teran from Istria shows a lot of promise as it is able to maintain searing acidity upon achieving great phenolic ripeness; this results in relatively intense, fuller sparkling rosé wines. Graševina from Slavonia and Pošip and Debit from Dalmatia are also capable of delivering unique sparkling wines. Overall, Croatian sparkling wines have shown capable of delighting wine lovers and at times deliver an entirely different sensory experience that thrills the wine geeks.

Here are a few of our favorite wines from Zagreb Bubbles. 

Croatian Sparkling Wine

Find out a wide selection of sparkling wine at wineandmore.com

 

The Croatian wine scene has a new star! The Korak sparkling wines are truly commendable. Creamy texture with just a hint of brioche note. The purity and health of its fruit sing through the nose and palate. The structure is defined and tight. The bubbles are ooohhh so soft, persistent, and fine! We’re in love with these new bottlings of Korak and will be stocking them up at home.

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Our favorite of the Misal’s portfolio of bubbles: Blanc de Blancs 2010. 12 hours of maceration that lends it a deeper color. 6 years on lees. Flavors are predominantly of brioche, peach, and tangerine. Bold expressions and round on the palate.

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First time tasting a sparkling rosé made from Teran grapes. I think we are on to something here!

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Vina Jakob (Croatia) makes two sparklers– one from Chardonnay and Merlot and another from Chardonnay and Syrah. Both showed well at the Zagreb Bubbles show. We also tasted the reds by Vina Jakob at a different wine show and enjoyed them. This is a producer we’ll be watching with anticipation!

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Another compelling wine from Roxanich. This is a sparkling rosé made from Teran grapes. This spent four years on the lees! The Teran gives dark fruit flavors, broadness, and earthy tone to the sparkler and makes it quite unlike others. As Teran is naturally high in acidity, we find it to be an excellent variety for making sparkling wines. The Teran sparklers we’ve tried offer ripeness, flavor intensity, yet without compromising on the crispness.

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Champagne

 

Another cracking French find at Zagreb Bubbles: Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus Premier Cru 2011. Zero dosage, single-cru wine of 100% Chardonnay from 100% single vintage–no blending. Biodynamic producer who relies on native yeast for first fermentation. At least four years on lees before disgorgement. This is a cool kid. Nutty, fresh green herb, white flower, pear, and peach. Extremely creamy. Only the slightest hint of yeast; purity of fruit takes center stage. Amazing value for a under €40 Champagne.

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One of the best wines served at Zagreb Bubbles event: Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2006. This is the top bottling of Taittinger. Whipped cream-like texture brings forth the weightless body of this wine. Coiled intensity of pure fruit notes–almond biscotti, nectarine, white chocolate, and lemon. Underlying floral tone. Amazing length. 2006 is tasting like it’ll eventually evolve and surpass other recent vintages.

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Franciacorta

 

Franciacorta always deserves more love. The Antinori Donna Cora Franciacorta Saten 2011 is ready for the world, after spending 5 quiet years resting on the lees.

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Still Wine

 

Not going to pretend or be a smart ass, a still Prosecco is completely new to us and this is a great start! We’re absolutely hooked and can’t wait to explore more.

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2015 marks the first vintage of Ivančić Griffin’s Single Vineyard. It’s a field blend of Müller-Thurgau and Chardonnay; co-fermented. A wonderfully integrated wine yet you can taste specific characteristics of each of the variety. A refreshing wine that’s easy to drink yet teases for your attention with subtle nuances. A wine of duality. Highly recommended.

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The Zagreb Bubbles program consists of several peripheral events, including a “Fine Wine Tasting” evening. At the fine wine event, we had the opportunity to sample several famous wines from around the world and also library selection from Croatian wine producers. We tasted a Korak Pinot Crni (Noir) from 2007 and the wine was showing incredible youthfulness and fruit-forwardness. A wine that could go on for another decade. While Korak is very much known as one of the grand masters of Croatian Pinot Noir, we say: don’t overlook Korak Syrah too!

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Another interesting find at the Zagreb Bubbles’s fine wine event. Another fascinating wine imported by our friends at Hidden Wines! This causes split opinions–Charine adores this wine while Matt is indifferent. The 2011 Hartmann Dona Dona Noir comes from the Sudtirol area in Alto Adige. 100% Blauburgunder harvested from >20 year-old vines planted on steep slopes and at 500 meters above sea level. Spontaneous fermentation. Aged for 23 months in the barrel and 2 years in the bottle. This wine expresses exceptional drinkability and potential for long cellaring. Freshness, earth, spice, and intensity of fruit are expressed in complete harmony. If mellow happiness or quiet contentment has a taste, this should be it.

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2010 Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Imperiale. Among the people in our group, this is the star of the fine wine evening put together by Zagreb Bubbles. This wine should have been decanted for many hours before the show. But even when poured fresh from the bottle, the potential punches through the shy facade. 99 points by Robert Parker The Wine Advocate? No explanation required; every point flows towards every moment of the experience. Too young to drink, it’s all coiled up, yet nothing screams painful on the senses. No detailed tasting note. Just drink it to understand the meaning of a complete, fine wine.

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The finest selection of

Croatian wines

available at:

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Croatian Wines Available in the USA.

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    Do you want to try Croatian wines?    

If you’re looking to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With an abundance of options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

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Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

You can learn more about Zagreb Bubbles on their website.
Matthew also reviewed a wine that we tasted at the show: Nusserhof Südtirol Lagrein Riserva 2010
The opinions expressed in this article are not associated with any sponsors or business promotions.

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