Croatia: wines of Dalmatia...

WINE TALK
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Just back from a family trip to Croatia, so while the focus wasn’t wine, we enjoyed a pretty broad set of producers over 10 days starting in Split and ending in Sibenik with a stop in Korcula.

Drank a bunch of Pošip and Grk, several Rukatac, a few other whites like Crvik’s very nice “Tezoro” Malvasija Dubrovacka (of which there are two versions I believe, one stainless and one barreled if I’m not mistaken), a few sparklers, a few rose, a few orange wines, and a few dessert wines as well. The whites were uniformly nice - mostly all a great combination of easy-drinking and interesting, high in minerality, lively acidity, sometimes apricot-y and often floral, akin to many Italian whites from right across the Adriatic to my palate. The reds? Not my thing since they lean big/tannic/higher alcohol, which might work better if I were visiting in cooler months. They like to say Plavac Mali is an ancestral relative of Zin, and I could certainly see similarities.

Two producers I was most impressed with and would love to spend more time with were Krajančić in Korcula and Bibich outside Skradin/Sibenik. Krajančić’s 2015 Pošip Korkyra Melaina (three years in barrique) was wine of the trip by a good margin. Fascinating and far more complex than it’s more easy-going compatriots. We visited Bibich for lunch (highly recommended), but my favorite wines of theirs were the ones served at Pelegrini restaurant in Sibenik (Michelin 1 star), where the winemaker and chef partner on a range of wines dubbed Bibich+Stefan. Their Borgo di Mare Dolac (made from the Plavina grape I believe) was my favorite and probably the most elegant red of the trip - though I must admit I am not a fan of most of the Croatian reds (Plavac Mali or more mainstream blends for that matter).

Had a super lovely visit at old-school, unmarked, garagiste-y producer Branimir Cebalo on Korcula for Grk. His wife Maja (calls him the winemaker, and herself the wineTALKER) showed us great hospitality, and I brought home a few of their inexpensive but delightful wines. It took me a while to find their place, and only succeeded because she spotted me down the street and shouted over with directions!

Meals at two of the country’s top restaurants - Pelegrini in Sibenik and LD Terrace (Lesic Dimitri Palace) in Korcula town - provided a great chance to taste a spectrum of well-chosen wines by doing the tasting menus with wine pairings. Highly recommended, especially for Pelegrini to have your only opportunity to taste the Bibich+Stefan wines. And both are top-notch creative Michelin star meals rooted in local culture and in really lovely settings - pricey, but not compared to similar restaurants in Italy or elsewhere in Europe.

Dining at Bibich up in the hills is a must. And LoLe wine bar in Korcula town is another if you ask me. Both showed tremendous hospitality and warmth. In fact, the people of Croatia we met were among the most friendly and welcoming we’ve encountered in all of Europe. Also, if you need any help planning a trip, I know a Croatian/American chef (lives in Zagreb and Charlotte!) who arranges food and wine tours and knows many of the producers (and top chefs) very well - check out Captivating Croatia’s Richard Gruica who can help set up private tours, etc.

Most (but not all) of the wines we tried, in no particular order…
Bibich+Stefan Borgo di Terra (chardonnay), Borgo di Mare (plavina), Terra Nera (cabernet), dessert wine (?)
Bibich Debit, Posip, Brut Rose, G6 Red, Aleph Red
Grabovac Kujundzusa
Grabovac Sauvignon Blanc
Grabovac/Pelegrini Vira Viognier
Testament Winery Debit
Dordano Persuric Chardonnay Blend Misal Blanc de Blancs Brut
Branimir Cebalo Plavac Mali Opolo (rose)
Branimir Cebalo Plavac Mali
Branimir Cebalo Grk
Hrvatske Posip Divina Aurum (orange)
Violić Sagul Orange
Bire Grk sur lie
Bire Grk
Krajancic Posip
Krajancic Posip Korkyra Melaina
Krajancic Plavac Mali Moro (dessert)
Zure Grk
Zure Grk Bartul
PZ Nerica Pinot Crni Posip (rose)
Tasovac Posip
Merga Victa Posip
Antunovic Rukatac
Baran Rukatac
Crvik Malvasija Dubrovacka Tezoro
Galic Grasevina g-tocka
Galic Grande Reserve brut
Cara Posip (unsure producer!)
Pepejus Markus

(dang that’s a lot! though a big chunk of them were small pours as part of the two tasting menus we did)

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Wow. You tasted a bunch. I know nothing of Croatian wine. Look forward to trying what you brought back.
Pics were great. Food looked outstanding.

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Nice job Brad. I am heading there next month so this is timely.

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Nice notes, Brad. Thanks for sharing them.
We spent 4 days in the far interior of the Istrian Peninsula, near Cerovlje. Really liked the wines, particularly the whites from Malvasia d’Istriana.
We pretty much avoided the the more touristy areas along the coast. We stayed in an Agriturismo in a tiny village that had only 4 farms & way more
chickens/pigs/goats/cows than people. The daughter who ran the Agroturizam Dol in Gologoricki Dol was the only one who could speak English, if barely.
When we arrived for dinner, the place was packed (maybe 30 people) w/ natives that had just finished the olive harvest for the day. Lots of wine,
plenty of food, and loud/boistrous talking & singing, all in Croatian. Yet they welcomed us furriners into their midst like long-time friends and made us honorary
members of the group. A miracle we made it up to the room w/o collapsing.
PlavicMali is a cross of Tribidrag/Zinfandel/Primitivo/ChrulinakCastellanski & an unknown other parent. This is some infighting as to who can claim to being
the birthplace of Tribidrag…Croatia or Macedonia. It might get ugly.
Would/will go back to Croatia in a heartbeat.
Tom

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Brad, did you avoid Plavac Mali, maybe you it’s not to your liking, or did it just work out that way? That seemed like the most prominent red variety when I was there a few years ago.

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Chris, I tried three different ones - none to my liking - and yes, that was the most commonly seen red in the region.

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Ah I see now I missed it in your long post the first time. Gotcha. I liked Plavac Mali, but (a) I like Zin and (b) I was visiting in April when the weather was in the 50s and low 60s.

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Sounds like quite the variety. I was impressed with the wines I tasted on my trips. (Only 2 trips to Croatia - first one was Istrian peninsula from Pula to Rovinja and Umag and then across the Adriatic to Venezia - and the second was the Dalmatian coast with stops in Mljelt, Korcula, Starigrad, Hvar, and Split).
The prices were right so I was able to taste broadly. Didn’t have time or energy to take good notes, though.

I second the recommendation for Bibich. One of the more memorable wines I tasted
Matsuko winery was also good - they made a nice Dingač wine. The grape is Plavac Mali but the appellation is Dingač.
Zlatan Plavac was everywhere - and so we drank a fair amount of that producer’s Plavac Mali.
Had a few wines from Grgić - the winery founded by Mike Girgich. I think his family is still involved. Only had their Pošip, a white wine variety.

Grasevina was an interesting grape variety. I learned from a small winemaker in Starigrad who made Grasevina wines that they will soak barrels in salt water. Not sure whether that is used widely in other areas.

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Sounds like you had a great time Brad and a nice read!

For foodies, a paradise, there’s an incredible wealth of local specialties and the coastal area differs a lot as between Istria and Dalmatia, or even from one village to another a few miles away. I always recommend to try a peka prepared meal which is unique for the coastal area and Croatia. It’s a ounds like you had a great time Brad and a nice read!

For foodies, a paradise, there’s an incredible wealth of local specialties and the coastal area differs a lot as between Istria and Dalmatia, or even from one village to another a few miles away. I always recommend to try a peka prepared meal which is unique for the coastal area and Croatia. It’s a technic of cooking the food under a lid by a fireplace. As it takes hours to prepare you would need to book an hour ahead. Outside of summer season inland Croatia has a lot to offer as well.

@Tom - Plavac Mali is the offspring of Tribidrag and Dobricic. News to me about any dispute with Macedonia for the claim of Tribidrag origin.

There are many different styles of Plavac Mali, ranging from very high alcohol wines with some residual sugar still to more balanced versions. The best is up for debate but a few really good winemakers are Milos (The whole range) Kiridzija (dingac) and Korta Katarina (dingac/0postup). Personally I feel the Zlatan wines are ok but quality is not up there (any more - grand cru bottling perhaps). Avoid any (new) barrique versions in general.

For red wines Babic is a great grape though I think the best are extremely small producers so not easy to hold of the better versions. Birin I’m Vodice represents a more fresher take with nice acidity and I had a 2013 a few moth ago that was drinking really well.

For Grk, all are very small producers, there’s only a few hectares grown and the best are grown on the sandy soil of Lumbarda and are own rooted. Zure for example is not grown on sandy soil (believe limestone), though a very good place for dinner with fresh fish and very reasonable prices for their wines. Personally I hold winery Grk (another Cebalo - a lot of them there) and Popic as the best Grk growers (located door to door). Had a terrific 2018 of the former this weekend at a friends gathering.

Whatever that Grasevina practice was, I never heard of it, maybe an innovative one man show? In the right hands and clones it can be a very good wine though most is made in a plonk style… it’s a very versatile grape like riesling (bone dry to ice wines), though in flavor profile perhaps more in the direction of Sylvaner, at least the dry ones. technic of cooking the food under a lid by the fireplace. As it takes hours to prepare you would need to book a day ahead. Outside of summer season inland Croatia has a lot to offer as well.

@Tom - Plavac Mali is the offspring of Tribidrag and Dobricic. News to me about any dispute with Macedonia for the claim of Tribidrag origin.

There are many different styles of Plavac Mali, ranging from very high alcohol wines with some residual sugar still to more balanced versions. The best is up for debate but a few really good winemakers are Milos (The whole range) Kiridzija (dingac) and Korta Katarina (dingac/0postup). Personally I feel the Zlatan wines are ok but quality is not up there (any more - grand cru bottling perhaps). Avoid any (new) barrique versions in general, unless wood is your thing.

For red wines Babic is a great grape though I believe the best are extremely small producers so not easy to get hold of the better versions. Birin in Vodice represents a more fresher take with nice acidity and I had a 2013 a few moth ago that was drinking really well.

For Grk, all are very small producers, there’s only a few hectares grown and the best vines are raised on sandy soil in Lumbarda own rooted. Zure for example is not grown on sandy soil (believe limestone), though a very good place for dinner with fresh fish and very reasonable prices for their wines. Personally I hold winery Grk (another Cebalo - a lot of them there) and Popic as the best Grk growers (located door to door). Had a terrific 2018 of the former this weekend at a friends gathering.

Whatever that Grasevina practice was, I never heard of it, maybe an innovative one man show? In the right hands and clones it can be a very good wine though most is made in a plonk style… it’s a very versatile grape like riesling (bone dry to ice wines).

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Sweet writeup of Croatia and the wines Brad. I have a soft spot for floral racy white wines, and the Croatian examples hit all the marks for me. Posip, Grk, and the Malvasia Dubrovnika are all spectacular.

We went a few years ago and had the dumb luck of arriving just when the Dubrovnik Wine Festival was holding their tasting, so we got to meet quite a few of the winemakers and tasted everything we could. I agree that the Plavac Mali’s could get a bit hot and jammy, but the picture I have below is of one that I recall as being exceptionally balanced and more on the savory side.

Mikael, we made friends with a winemaker in the Konavle valley who set up a peka dinner for us and picked out this bottle. You may know it? I remember everything being sublime that evening but it could also just have been the ambiance. Such a fun place to visit if you’re a wine and food geek.
20160510_100511.jpg

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Graševina is the same thing as Welschriesling - that neutral, boring medium-acid white grape incapable of greatness. The variety is actually originally from Croatia, and for some reason, seems to reach heights that are pretty much unattainable anywhere else. Apart from Croatian producers, I’ve had an impressive Welschriesling from one producer in Czech Republic, nowhere else. I don’t know if they just have better clones in Croatia compared to central Europe or what gives.

Malvazija Dubrovačka / Rukatac / Maraština is the same thing as Malvasia Toscana, that bland, low-acid Italian variety often used in blends to add volume, not taste or structure. Can’t remember if I’ve had a single interesting still white made from the variety, but at least I’ve tried. However, they do make some impressive skin-contact whites with the variety that have been much more promising than the rather simple whites.

Malvazija Istarska is a whole different beast unrelated to the Dubrovačka version. Lots more depth, body, fruit and structure. One of my favorite grape varieties that go by the name “Malvasia”.

Thanks to Mikael for explaining the Plavac Mali parentage so I don’t have to. :smiley:

And, probably like with everybody else, Grk might be my favorite Croatian white variety!

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Indeed I do Adolfo, have a tried a few different vintages and I think its quite a good wine. Perhaps not to the level of the other I mentioned but could be down to personal taste and the vintages I tried.

Couldn’t agree more, many times the most humble places are the best, and even better to be invited like you were. Farm to table is and has throughout remained the normal in Croatia with pride in homemade/grown food and beverage products.

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I figured I let you focus on adding a few other interesting points. You done a lot of solid writing lately :slight_smile:

I am quite sure that Malvazija Dubrovačka is a different grape. Rukatac and Maraština are the same and native to Croatia.

And Tom if you want an interesting potential claim to a Croatian origin, how about Furmint? In Croatian the name for Furmint can be Moslavac (as a region in Croatia), German speakers calls is Mosler. champagne.gif

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Unfortunately I don’t have my copy of Wine Grapes now at hand.

However, at least these sources say they aren’t native to Croatia:
https://www.total-croatia-wine.com/grapes/489-the-grape-varieties-of-croatia-marastina
https://croatia.hr/en-GB/experiences/gastronomy-and-enology/marastina
MALVASIA LUNGA (probably the most credible source)
Bura - Rukatac 2020 - Kingston Wine Co.

I don’t know if there has been some more recent research made that would indicate that it is after all an indigenous variety. However, I have been all this time under the impression that it is identical to Malvasia Bianca Lunga and some wine professionals said the same to me when I visited Croatia.

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You living legend :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:. I tend to take a lot of stick for my honesty :slight_smile:, yet, I do believe that the absence of a gag reflex is a sine-qua-non for coping with Grasevina :slight_smile:. It is, of course, sadly ubiquitous in Croatia. While I’ve spent decades trying to steer a safe course, well away from Grasevina/Welschriesling, the best I’ve tasted (and probably the only one approaching anything that I could picture myself drinking again) was actually from Hungary’s Lake Balaton just across the border (by Laszlo Bussay, IIRC).

As per Edi Maletic (probably Croatia’s best known ampelographer), apparently, Malvazija Dubrovacka = Malvasia delle Lipari, Malvasia di Sardegna, Greco di Gerace, Malvasia de Sitges and Malvasia de Lanzarote, for what it’s worth…

Rukatac/Marastina… Don’t quote me on this, but I’ve long held the impression that the ampelography is possibly less than perfectly reliable here, partly also because people there sometimes tend to use these as catch-all terms for whatever white grapes they have in the vineyard that (to them, at least) are not readily identifiable as one thing or the other… and there’s quite a bit of that around along Croatia’s coast, as you can probably imagine. A lot of this is folklore, rather than any kind of serious ampelography, I’m afraid. On the whole, what you said about R/M being somewhat acidity-challenged is spot-on, but, again, local expressions can vary considerably depending on the usual factors such as terroir/specific biotype (at least hypothetically) etc. So, the whole picture might be a little more complex, I think.

Malvasia Istriana can still be a bit of a minefield, too. Even as little as 15 years ago, the really interesting examples were a bit thin on the ground. The overwhelming majority of the wines were made to please the market: strictly reductive, very homogenous in style and expression, to be drunk within two, three years at most, overall quite dull and unexciting. A bit like trying to emulate the mind-numbing, technological sameness of the NZ Sauv Blanc stereotype, all the rage back then. The more interesting renditions were those still made in a more old-fashioned, traditional mould, often only found in random private family cellars scattered across Istria and mostly not commercialised. Things began to change no more than cca 15 years ago with the advent of winemakers like Bruno Trapan or Dimitri Brecevic.

Indeed, Grk is potentially very special, but destined to remain a very rare commodity (as discussed here in a recent thread). Is it Croatia’s best indigenous white variety? Possibly. Personally, though, I like Vugava/Bugava at least as much, and perhaps a bit more.

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Thanks everyone for chiming in with the knowledge!

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Interesting one but first, I understood it as Malvazija Dubrovacka is another grape at least?

I was about to write that Tvrtko might add a thoughts or two… :smiley:

Not sure he’ll be able to tell but at least I can do better than an iffy google translate for this resource:
http://vinopedia.hr/wiki/index.php?title=maraština

The translate suggest that there is a close relationship, not that is the same grape. I am also sure there is a lot of confusion

Believe Tvrtko been traumatized when it comes to Grasevina (mass produced and only good for gemist wines), I have had bad experience as well. There are plonk out there, however with time and trying a few better versions I can see quite some very good quality wines as well.

Agree with his comment about Malvazija Istriana from Istria, most is made to please the market while there for sure is potential to reach higher levels.

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Interesting. The Graševina wines I recall tasting were not particularly memorable. Most bottles that I had were nicely chilled and enjoyed more as an aperitif than a wine.
It has been a few years since I was in Croatia - but other than Pula and Split, I did not find any true wine stores - i.e. those focused on selling wine and having some substantial level of inventory and variety of wines. Most of the bottles I bought were from restaurants or small shops that sold food, beer, and home goods or were focused on the tourist trade selling trinkets, specialty foods and wine. Saw many of the same wines and same producers in many of these places. But then, I was mostly along the coast and not in any more developed urban areas.

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A nice wine shop/bar between Ston and Korcula on Pelješac is Peninsula - http://www.peninsula.hr - almost exclusively wines of the region, plus they do a nice meat and cheese plate on the patio outside under the shade of vines. Normally have more of a menu of prepared dishes, but have not resumed that yet.

The higher end restaurants (plus the wineries themselves) seem to have locked up some of the best wines since they are typically very small producers - which is why I thought the wine pairings alongside the tasting menus were a great way to go.

There are a few small wine shops in Korcula town that have a decent selection of the local wines.

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Oh, come on, Mikael. Stop being so reasonably optimistic, mate. The horror is intrinsic. Let’s just face it: Grasevina is a natural calamity, not a grape variety :slight_smile:.

(On a slightly more serious note, to me it belongs to the same category as Gewuerztraminer: it seems to have this pasty, slightly amorphous, quality to it, for lack of a better term, that I just can’t stand. End of story. More for all those thirsty Croats out there, I guess…).