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!

Grabovac, Trnjak Riserva 2017

Could Trnjak have the highest potential among all indigenous Balkan red grapes?

Trnjak is a red grape is grown in the town of Imotski in the Dalmatian Hinterlands of Croatia in addition to Western Herzegovina (Bosnia Herzegovina). For the last few decades, this grape has been an afterthought. It’s been simply used in the vineyards as a pollinator of the beloved local grape Blatina – which has only a female flower. Trnjak (which also goes by Rudežuša) is often blended into varietal Blatina wines to add color.

The grape garnered some attention after Vinogradi Nuič won a gold medal in the AWC competition for their 2015 Trnjak. In recent years, more producers are planting and vinifying Trnjak. The grape is made into fresh and barrel-aged wine.

Trnjak wines tend to be plush and mouth-filling like Merlot with subtle nuances of Mediterranean herbs and spices. It creates rich fresh reds and takes to barrel aging well. There aren’t a lot of examples on the market, but existing wines show promise.

Grabovac is a family-run cellar in Imotski, a Dalmatian (Croatia) village on the border with Bosnia Herzegovina. This is the second excellent vintage in a row of the Grabovac, Trnjak Riserva. If you put this wine in a blind tasting, many people might call it a Southern Rhône wine. There are notes of black cherry, red plum, meat, garrigue, and white pepper. The mouthfeel is fruity and plush, like a good Merlot. There is an intensity of flavors on the mid-palate and the tannins and ripe and easygoing.

It’s a true Mediterranean red, but at 13.5% ABV, it’s far from a bruiser. If you’re looking for something new and exciting, the Grabovac Trnjak Riserva is highly recommended.

Score: 90+/100 (You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.)

The finest selection of Grabovac wines

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    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 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 Grabovac Trnjak Riserva 2017 appeared first on Wine Travel.

During the Fall of 2018, we attended the Blaž Festival in Medjugorje, Bosnia Herzegovina. It was the third rendition of the annual festival that focuses on showcasing the local varieties Blatina and Žilavka. We’re big fans of the region and these wines, so it was a no-brainer for us to attend when we received the invite. Nearly all of the quality producers of BiH (Bosnia Herzegovina) were present at Blaž.

Blatina & Žilavka

Blatina and Žilavka are two unique grapes from Herzegovina. The region has a long history of wine production, dating back at least 2000 years to Illyrian times. That being said, wines from these grapes are not well known on the world stage.

Blatina is one of my favorite grapes from the Ex-Yugoslavia region. It creates medium-bodied reds with juicy acidity and distinctive mineral flavors. The wines are low in alcohol and retain a fantastic level of natural acidity, which is unique for the latitude (Herzegovina is approximately the same latitude as Rome, Italy).

The flowers of the Blatina vine are female, meaning they need a different variety to pollinate. For this reason, many producers plant Alicante Bouchet or another local variety known as Trnjak in their Blatina vineyards. Wines made from Blatina tend to taste like an imaginary cross between Sangiovese and Gamay. Oak aged versions tend to taste like rich wines made from Blaufränkisch. The wines are usually fruity and complex.

Žilavka is a unique grape that has few equivalents. The grape creates wines with high alcohol and surprisingly bright acidity. Žilavka vines tend to do well with the warm, Mediterranean climate of Herzegovina. Many producers told us that during drought periods, the only green of the landscape is from the Žilavka vineyards. The closest comparison for the grape that we have is Vermentino from Sardinia, thanks to the pine, ripe fruit, Mediterranean brush flavors that are accompanied by an oily mouthfeel.

Blaž Impressions

The Blaž Festival really impressed us. We had no idea what to expect and when we got to the venue we were blown away. The lighting was stellar and there was live music in addition to finger foods and cheeses. The organization was top notch and the organizers plan to do more Blaž events in the region including Sarajevo (BiH), Belgrade (Serbia), Split, and Zagreb (Croatia).

Wines made from Žilavka showed the weakest in our opinion. Too many producers use aromatic yeasts and the wines taste industrial and lack personality. Many of these wines taste like they could be any grape. If the target market is mass produced, low cost, fresh whites than this is no problem. However, if producers want to show off Žilavka’s potential, we’d like to see more examples made with indigenous yeasts and bottled unfiltered like the excellent wines from Brkić.

Wines made from Blatina, Trjnak, and Vranac are a different story. We tasted a number of exciting wines from all of these grapes. Blatina does well as a fresh wine and takes to oak surprisingly well for a medium bodied wine. Vranac (also spelled Vranec in Macedonia/FYROM) is mostly cultivated in Eastern Herzegovina but there are also a number of delicious examples in Western Herzegovina too. It’s a grape that we are big fans of and the potential is barely scratched.

We feel the grape Trnjak has the most potential to make deeply colored, highly structured, and age-worthy reds. This may be the regions ticket to serious and complex reds that can surprise a lot of drinkers. It will be exciting to return to the region over the coming years to see how winemakers continue to improve.

Here were our favorites from Blaž.

Exotic Wine Travel’s Picks

You can find out more about our scoring system on the Wine Rating page.

Žilavka

• Marjanović, Žilavka 2017

Marjanović has changed their labels for both the Žilavka and Blatina since we last tried them. Even though the label has changed, the quality still remains high. This wine is full of pine, ripe pineapple, Mediterranean brush, and mineral notes. It’s dry but has a bigger body with an oily mouthfeel. While it’s simple and delicious, the wine is big enough to stand up to chicken. Tart with a medium finish. 87/100

• Buntič, Žilavka 2017

The Buntič Žilavka (along with the examples from Brkić) is distinctly different from many examples of the grape. This wine has character, it feels unfiltered and isn’t as sterile as many renditions of Žilavka. There are notes of white flower, white peach, minerals, and yogurt. The wine tastes a little raw and edgy, yet contained. It is a wine for the geekier palate.  87/100

• Brkič, Greda 2015 & Mjesečar Žilavka 2016 

We’ve written at length about Brkić, in particular, the Plava Greda and Mjesečar Žilavka. There’s a reason for this. Josip Brkić is perhaps the name when it comes to wines in Western Herzegovina. He creates wines with character and soul.

The Brkić Greda is Žilavka that has been on its skins and lees for two years in the barrel. It’s unfined and unfiltered. There are notes of pine, sage, green guava, white flower, and oak. The wine is full bodied with a low level of tannins. For a big wine, this has bright acidity and lingering finish. 90/100

This is the fourth vintage we’ve tasted of the Brkić Mjesečar Žilavka and it never disappoints. It’s made by placing whole berries into Bosnian oak and letting the wine ferment naturally. It’s then bottled under the full moon. This is an orange wine but a fresh one at that with notes of pine, lemon, yogurt, and almond. This beauty has texture and a long finish.  91/100

• Čitluk, Žilavka Barrique 2015

The Čitluk Žilavka Barrique wine is aged for six months in 225L oak. The wood integration is fantastic in this wine. Notes of honey, white flower, lemon balm, and white peach take center stage. It’s a full-bodied white that shows fantastic balance. The wine isn’t overly complex but it’s a pleasure to drink. It’s a good example of fine oak integration in a white wine.  88/100

Blatina

• Carska Vina, Impero Blatina 2015

Carska Vina wines are dependable vintage after vintage, especially the basic Blatina. The Carska Vina Impero Blatina is aged in oak for over a year, it’s the reserve red wine of the estate. There are notes of sweet cedar, sour cherry, tobacco, and violet. It’s juicy and medium bodied with soft tannins with a long acidic core. The wine is not overly complex but it’s a lot of fun to drink.  87/100

• Nuič, Blatina Barrique 2015

Vinogradi Nuić is another producer that is focused on high quality and it shows across the portfolio. The basic Blatina is delicious and the Nuić Blatina Barrique takes it up one notch. We’ve had several vintages of this wine in the past. There is a lot of wood on the nose but that disappears on the palate. It’s lighter in color for a wine aged in oak. Flavors of sour cherry, mineral, and green herb emerge on the palate. It’s a juicy wine with soft tannins. It’s very reminiscent of a Sangiovese from Emilia-Romagna, Italy.  87/100

• Vina Rubis, Veteribus Blatina Barrique 2015

Vina Rubis is a newcomer on the scene and we were pleased with their Žilavka and both the Vionica and Veteribus Blatina offerings. The Vina Rubis Veteribus Blatina Barrique has a lot of oak on the nose but it is charming. It is aged in French oak. Notes of sour cherry, sweet cedar, tobacco, mineral, and a touch of brett dominate the flavor profile. It’s medium bodied and juicy, similar to a southern Italian Negroamaro. Some may find it a tad woody but therein lies its charm for me.  88/100

• Čitluk, Blatina Grand Cru Special Edition 2011

Find Čitluk wines at wineandmore.com 

Blatina usually creates medium bodied, juicy table wines. The Čitluk Blatina Grand Cru Special Edition is one of the few serious examples of Blatina that we have come across. It has more structure than normal Blatina-based wines and we wouldn’t be surprised if there is a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon blended in.

The wine has notes of red plum, maraschino cherry, cedar, and tobacco. It smells ripe and big but is actually medium-bodied on the palate. It smells and tastes like a Chianti Classico with a silky mouthfeel with round, developed tannins. It has a lingering finish but I would have loved to know this wine at a younger age. If you find it, drink it up now.  91/100

• Škegro, Carsus Blatina 2016

Find Škegro wines at wineandmore.com 

Škegro is a fairly new producer on the scene but they’re already producing some delicious wines. We’re fond of this wine in addition to the Krš Orange Žilavka. The Carsus Blatina is aged in oak for twelve months. This new vintage takes the bottling to new heights.

Most Blatina wines are dominated by red fruit flavors, this one is more on the dark fruit spectrum. Other flavors include sweet cedar, black licorice, and minerals and while the wine smells rich and bold, it’s juicy and medium bodied. A touch of Syrah-like citrus peel emerges on the finish with soft tannins.  89/100

Photo from the Škegro Family Winery Facebook Page.

Other Grapes

• Nuič, Trnjak 2015

Trnjak is another local grape of Western Herzegovina and it’s often planted with Blatina to help in pollination. This bottling may be the finest example that we’ve tasted of the grape and it really shows off the potential. The Nuić Trnjak is deep and dark in color and rich in extract. The flavors are made up of black plum, dark cherry, and sage. It’s round on the palate and plush without being sloppy – it feels similar to Merlot. The sweet tannins and fantastic oak integration finish off the package. A wine with big fruit and nuances.  91/100

• Vukoje, Vranac 2015

Radovan Vukoje actually makes the finest Žilavka we’ve ever tasted, the Carsko Vino Grand Cru. Unfortunately, it wasn’t at the show to taste. As good as that wine is, Vukoje is pretty darn good in Vranac too. The Vukoje Vranac is an entry-level bottling with ripe red fruits, sweet cedar, sage, and earth notes. It’s full bodied but the high acidity softens the mouthfeel. All of the acidity here screams for food. This isn’t as serious as the Vukoje Vranac Rezerva but it’s delicious and fun to drink.  88/100

• Andrija, Vranac Selekcija 2013

A big and round red wine, the Andrija Vranac Selekcija is pitch black with a lot of extract. The alcohol is high at 15.8% but it works well in the wine. There are notes of raisin, black plum, cedar, and orchid flower in the wine. It’s a full-bodied, quasi-jammy, monster of a wine. Very good oak integration and round tannins. It’s not the type of wine that we like to drink on a normal basis, but it’s very well executed for those who like this style.  89/100

The finest selection of

Bosnian and Herzegovinian

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    Do you want to try Bosnian and Herzegovinianwines?    

If you’re looking to savor the exquisite flavor of Bosnian and Herzegovinian 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!

Cesarica Hotel provided us with two nights of accommodation for the Blaž Festival. 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 Bosnia Herzegovina Wine – Blatina & Žilavka From The Blaž Festival 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.

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Croatian wines available at:

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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!

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.