When we were first approached by Anna Marie Dos Remedios, co-owner and winemaker at Idle Hour Winery & Kitchen, about going on some wine adventures in Croatia, I got pretty excited. We had a marvelous experience with Expanding Horizons once before and Croatia has looked so beautiful from the pictures of many friends. Plus, fun fact: I studied Serbo-Croatian literature in college! So I am stepping away from California’s Central Coast for the next 2 weeks to talk about another country’s coastal wines!
I didn’t know much about Croatian wines, but we were so pleasantly surprised by the quality and diversity of the exceptional wine experiences we encountered during our two-week trip. We spent one week traveling by bus to the Plešivica wine region, the Plitvice Lakes National Park, and the Istrian Peninsula before making our way down the coast to Zadar and Split. From there, we boarded the Aurelia, our private Katerina Lines yacht, island hopping to Hvar, Vis, Korčula, back to the mainland at Slano, and finally ending up in Dubrovnik.
I found a couple of good overview articles about Croatian wine: A Top to Bottom Tour of Croatia’s Wine-Soaked Coastline and Croatian Wine – Everything You Need to Know. The second reference is for a website called Wine and More, which is an excellent resource on Croatian wines, their unique varietals, and even planning your trip!
Although we got to know Croatian wines during our trip, but we got to know them them fairly well during our visit. I’m bound to get lots of facts wrong as I try to talk about our experiences and the wines. My reviews have at times been colorfully supplemented by our traveling partners, whom I have named the Decanting-Monterey-in-Croatia Wine Pod. 😊
Some of the standout varietals included the white grapes of Malvazija Istarka and Graševina, and the red grapes of Teran and Plavac Mali. The delicious red grape Plavac Mali (“little blue”) was long considered to be related to Zinfandel, but in fact, Kastelanski Crljenak, and Tribidrag are the true DNA relatives of California Zinfandel. You can read more on this controversy HERE.
Sadly, we learned that many Croatian wines are not exported to the US and it seems the wineries do not directly ship here. Thank you, COVID. There are a couple of overseas websites where you can order directly, but they will have to add on about $20/bottle for shipping and US customs! But, if you hunt hard enough (I did!), you will find several US wine shops that carry and ship Croatian wines, thus saving you some of the added cost. Be sure to read next week’s post where I’ll tell you all about it!
I’ll be breaking this experience into 3 posts: Wines we consumed while on the mainland, ones we tasted after we got on the yacht, and the Idle Hour wines from California we tasted throughout our adventure. I will include links to the wineries where I can find them. To save space, I’ll try to provide links where you can find the winery descriptions of their wines. ZOI is the abbreviation for Zaštićena oznaka izvornoti (Protected mark originality – the wine region it is from). I found this informative map of the major Croatian wine regions on Wine Folly:
Here we go!
WINE ADVENTURES IN CROATIA – BY LAND
ZAGREB
Our friends who joined us on this trip had traveled far and wide to end up in Zagreb the Le Premier Hotel. Since none of us live close to each other, we decided to meet up in the hotel bar for a kick-off celebration before dinner.
Tomac Diplomat Extra Brut, ZOI Plešivica, 12.5% ABV, $37 (#1361) 100% Chardonnay
My Review: Tiny bubbles in the glass. Pink grapefruit up front with a square body. Very balanced in flavors with a slightly yeasty finish. May 2024
Our first group dinner was at the restaurant Kapitolska Klet, where we enjoyed these wines:
2019 Korlat Syrah, ZOI Dalmatian Hinterland, 13.5% ABV, $15 (#1362)
My Review: Inky in the glass. Crushed berries on the nose. Dark flavors on the palate with prune and stem notes. Smooth tannins on the finish. A very dark wine. May 2024
2019 Matuško Dingač, ZOI Peljesac Peninsula, Central and South Dalmatia, 14.5% ABV $21 (#1363)
My Review: Berries including strawberry on the nose. This wine elicited a “wow” from our table. Tons of heavy dark fruit, vanilla and maple on the finish. Has some dessert wine qualities – in a good way. Tastes high alcohol. May 2024
2023 Kozlović Muškat Momjanski, ZOI West Istria, 12% $16 (#1364) Semisweet
My Review: Pale in the glass. Lychee on the nose. A touch of sweetness and vaguely citrusy on the palate. Not cloying and presented slightly fizzy. Could be more acidic and colder. May 2024
KORAK FAMILY ESTATE
Our first winery visit was Korak Family Estate, outside of Zagreb along the Pleševice Wine Road. They make elegant Burgundian varietals which can be sampled along with a Michelin Star lunch! That was such a great start to our trip. The setting was lovely and the small winery produced delicious wines. I would highly recommend this experience if you are near Zagreb. You can find winery notes for these wines here.
NV Korak Family Estate Brut Nature, Laškovec i Križevac, ZOI Plešivica, 12.5% ABV, $27 (#1365) 50% Pinot Crni (Pinot Noir) & 50% Chardonnay
My Review: Fine bubbles crisp and delicious. Graphite, mineral, not a lot of distinctive flavor. Served with sourdough bread, sourdough bread chips, fresh cheese, butter and cured meat. May 2024
2023 Korak Rajnski Rizling (Rhine Riesling), Laškovec, ZOI Plešivica 12.5% ABV, $24 (#1366)
My Review: Pale golden. A slightly sweet nose of pear and honeysuckle. Surprisingly acidic. Made in a style to be very fresh. As it warmed up, lemon curd. The wine was nicely paired with a green bean/prosciutto dish with a bitter orange cream sauce. May 2024
2022 Korak Sur Lie Chardonnay, Laškovec, ZOI Plešivica, 14% ABV, $29 (#1367)
My Review: Golden and viscous in the glass. Candied pineapple, melon, pear, and oak on the fresh nose. Lemon-infused butterscotch. Sweet pineapple and pop rocks on the palate with a long finish. A lot going on. Very tasty. Our favorite so far. Served with black tortellini filled with fresh ricotta with sliced dried garlic and peppered with truffles. May 2024
2023 Korak Sauvignon Blanc, Kamenice, ZOI Plešivica 13% ABV, $27 (#1368)
My Review: Pale yellow in the glass. Grassy pineapple on the nose. Citrus on the finish. Accompanied by peas in a smoked beurre blanc. May 2024
2022 Korak Pinot Crni (Pinot Noir), Krizevac i Cimbuscak, ZOI Plešivica, 13.5% ABV, $27 (#1369)
My Review: Light cherry and rose petal with a hint of cinnamon, vanilla and clove on the nose. A palate of light cherry and red berries with a peppery/cinnamon dry finish accompanied by soft tannins. Accompanied by smoked and roasted squab breast with horseradish and spices plum and onion chutney. May 2024
ON THE MOVE TO PLITVICE LAKES
On our way to the Plitvice Lakes National Park, we stopped for lunch at Ambar Restaurant where we enjoyed 2 wines:
NV Kolarić Coletti Brut Blanc, ZOI Plešivica (#1370)
My Review: Active bubbles and champagne color in the glass. A yeasty nose. We all guessed this was made sur lie for sure. May 2024
2018 Adžic Vallis Aurea Pinot Crni (Pinot Noir), ZOI Vinogorje Kutjevo, Slavonija, 13.5% ABV, $15 (#1371)
My Review: Wood and dark fruit including some cherry on the nose. Nose follows over to the palate. May 2024
ISTRIAN PENINSULA
Our first night in Opatija, we experienced an amazing sea-front dinner at the Bevanda Restaurant. The sommelier stopped by to tell us about each wine. You can read more about varietals from the Istrian Peninsula in these Decanter articles: Istrian Authenticity: 15 Malvazija and Teran wines to try and Istria for wine lovers.
Franković Stella Brut Sparkling Wine, ZOI Istria, $17 (#1372) Malvasia and Chardonnay
My Review: Pale in the glass. Wet grass on the nose. Freshly mowed grass on the palate. Spritzy on the palate. Close to a Prosecco. May 2024
2023 Stina Pošip, ZOI Central & South Dalmatia, 13.5% ABV, $40 (#1373)
My Review: The label on this wine is like white on white stone. The only notes I took were that it has a lemony finish. May 2024
2023 Terdzo Malvazija Istarka (#1374)
My Review: Yellow in color. Smells like a Viognier. Slightly sweet in aroma and on the palate with lemon notes. Viscous in the glass and on the tongue. Reminded us of a Rhône wine. May 2024
Šipun Sansigot, ZOI Istria & Kvarner, 12% ABV, $21 (#1375) (vintage not visible)
My Review: Oak and vanilla on the nose. Dark fruit including plum and violet. Made on island Krk. I loved this wine. Very young for us to be drinking. The sommelier said lots of tannin, but I think it is drinking fine. May 2024
TOMAZ WINERY
Our second winery visit was at the Tomaz winery, at the base of the hilltop village of Motovun.
About Tomaz: “FRAMELESS WINES: On heavy, loamy, and marly soils in the unique climate of the Mirna river, the Tomaz family cultivates vines in harmony. Motovun, well-known for its truffles and Motovun forest, is the birthplace of these unique works of art, the frameless wines.”
We tasted only the Croatian varietals of Malvazija and Teran, which they grow on their estate. They also purchase grapes from others to make other wines. You can find winery notes on their website and on Croatia Reveled – Tomaz. If you want to order Tomaz (or other wines) through Croatia Revealed, the process is to send them an email at info@croatiarevealed.com. As mentioned above, it costs about $20/bottle to process through shipping and US Customs!!
2023 Tomaz Flaminio Rosé, ZOI Hrvatska Istra, 12% ABV, $13 (#1376) Teran grape
My Review: Almost a pale orange in the glass. Faint orange on the nose like a sweet orange hard candy. A tiny bit of effervescence on the tongue. Sweet on the palate with a lemony pop finish. Food pairings smooth out the tartness. May 2024
2023 Tomaz Avangarde Malvazija Istarka, ZOI Hrvatska Istra, 13% ABV, $14 (#1377)
My Review: Light yellow in the glass. Orange blossom and minerality on the nose. Yu can taste the influence of the Adriatic carried by a light wind and the Istrian mountain air mixing with the grapes to create a sensuous swirl on the palate. It is in and of its place. Some residual sugars. A little bit of a sherry taste to it. Would pair well with fish. May 2024
2020 Tomaz Sesto Senso Malvazija Istarka, ZOI Hrvatska Istra, 13.5% ABV, $24 (#1378)
My Review: 6 months in French oak and 6 months in Istrian oak. Yellow in color. Bananas and a little grilled pineapple on the nose. Sour dates and honey on the viscous palate. Very flavorful. May 2024
2020 Tomaz Barbarossa Teran, ZOI Hrvatska Istra, 14% ABV, $24 (#1379)
My Review: 12 months in French oak. Beautiful in the glass – purple. Velvet. Perfume, Moroccan spices, black plum and jammy berries and alcohol on the nose. the initial jammy berries (Goji berries) are sandpapered away by the hidden tannins, finishing with a ton of cinnamon. Needs more time in the bottle. May 2024
2023 Tomaz Dolce Anima Muškat Bijeli, ZOI Hrvatska Istra, 12.5% ABV, $14 (#1380)
My Review: Diluted honey and elderflower on the nose. For a semisweet wine, this one is not cloying at all. It has enough acid to make it appear dry amongst the sweetness. May 2024
SPLIT
Our last night on land was in the beautiful city of Split, where we stayed in the Jupiter Luxury Hotel inside Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO Heritage Site. If that wasn’t special enough, we stumbled into a perfect little restaurant only steps from the hotel, where we became fond of the grape Plavac Mali.
2019 Volarević Syrtis Plavac Mali, ZOI Central & South Dalmatia, 15.5% ABV, $15/$35 US (#1381)
My Review: Rich garnet in color. Cherry licorice and vanilla on the nose. Dark cherry, cedar, and a burst of bright jam on the tannic finish. They say if you like California Zinfandel, Croatian Plavac Mali will ring your chimes. We really liked this wine. May 2024
I’ve actually found this wine available for sale in the US and am inquiring if we can get it shipped to California. More next week!
*Be sure to read next week’s post with more wine adventures in Croatia – and where to find them from the US!*
© Decanting Monterey 2023
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