At the 12th international wine rating Emozioni dal Mondo: Merlot e Cabernet Insieme 2016 in Bergamo, organised by the associations Vignaioli Bergamaschi (winemakers of Bergamo) and wine consortium Valcalepio doc, under the auspices of OIV, again a great success of Croatian drinks. Golden medals were awarded to, in alphabetical order:
Belje, for Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 and for Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot 2011
Feravino for Merlot Miraz 2012 and for Cabernet Sauvignon Miraz 2012
Jakob Vina, for Cuvée Jakob 2012
Krauthaker, for Mercs 2013.
Belje was also awarded for the Cabernet & Merlot 2012 a special title by the press – best Croatian representative in Bergamo for this edition.
The champion of the rating is the Magma 2012 by Israeli winery Bazelet Hagolan. Behind it, up to the fifth position, are by points Aldo Mincio Cabernet Val di Pietra 2013 Tenute Maddalena and Garda Cabernet Ribò 2013 by Ricchi Agricola, then Cabernet Sauvignon reserve 2013 by Bodegas Norton from Argentina, Rodoslov 2012 grand Reserve by Aleksandrović from Topole in Serbia and Veneto Passione Sentimento 2014 by the Italian Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine.
At the main table: Medolago Albani, winemaker from the Bergamo region and President of the Vignaioli Bergamaschi association, Claudia Quini and prof. Mario Fregoni. The Medolaga Albania Cabernet della Bergamasca Villa Redona 2010 igt wine was declared the best Italian representative for this edition.
Along with the hosts Italians, with 39 gold medals, Croatia with six gold and Israel with five gold medals, success at this rating was made by Argentina, Russia, Turkey and China with three gold each. In my group were two Chinese samples and I rated both highly. Later at dinner, with my colleague journalist Vladimir Tsapelik from Russia who brought some wine from his country for free tasting it was evident Russia also has something to say about wine, specifically red.
There were 236 samples from 21 countries, with only wines from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc eligible, either as single sort or mixed. Participation conditions also included minimum supply of at least 1.000 bottles per registered wine.
There were 83 reviewers from 25 countries, two of them from Croatia – Ivan Dropuljić, director of the ZagrebVino.com festival and myself. From Slovenia came professor Marin Berovič and Iztok Klenar, winemaker from Kopar and Deputy President of the International Union of Enologists, while from Serbia Nikola Biorčević and Mirko Rnjak. Every commission has 12 members, a significant feature compared to other ratings, where commissions usually have five to seven members.
Overseeing everything was the very esteemed prof. Mario Fregnoni, while the controller in the name of OIV was the Deputy President of the World Organisation for Vines and Wine, Argentinean Claudia Quini.
This rating, formed to propagate the Bergamo wine growing region Valcalepio and Bergamo wines, is held with the financial support of EU funds. Maybe there is a way for the Croatian national championship Vina Croatia, also aimed at promoting Croatian drinks abroad, to be financed with EU money.
This year may not see this rating, as the Croatian Chamber of Commerce stated, surely also due to financial issues, but something may happen in the spring of 2017 by expanding the championship to international wines. But who may find it interesting, along with very renowned competitions such as Decanter and Mundus Vini, to send samples and money to an unknown competition in Zagreb…
For the original and more from Suhi u Čaši blog on wine, click here.
