The team behind the Plava Kamenica blog on food and wine has done their deed in selecting what they consider to be the best wines of the outgoing year
10. Jo Ahearne Wild Skins 2016
The Wild Skins 2016 is a macerated coupage of Bogdanuša, Pošip and Kuč, with a wonderful, unusual, lavishing bouquet, which kept its primary floral fruit aromas, but also developed intense elements of classic orange wines.
9. Krajančić Pošip sur Lie 2015
Definitely one of the best Dalmatian white wines in the past several years. In the better harvests it can be both mineral and creamy, this wine has a great body and elegance, with flowery and herbal bouquet, reserved but precise fruit flavours and a very long ending compared to domestic white wines.
8. Korlat Supreme CS 2012
Unlike most Croatian Cabernets, Korlat Supreme retains fullness on the middle palate, contains finely granulated, ripe tannins and can boast a very pure aroma profile dominated by black currant, blackberries and blueberries, finely rounded with unobtrusive smoke.
7. Grk Križ 2016
Orange, macerated Grk Križ 2016 is one of the best Dalmatian white wines. Grk Križ is a wine of strong, full, somewhat fruity and somewhat herbal taste, smooth texture and rich bouquet, dominated by very ripe yellow fruit and dried citruses.
6. Frano Miloš Stagnum 2003
Miloš’s old Stagnum is the only Plavac among the top ten wines in this list. Stagnum from 2003, which has for years fascinated the admirers of the architect of the Pelješac and Dalmatia authentic winemaking, is in its current phase ultra rich, dense, full of dried fruits, hot red soil, rosemary and dark chocolate, but is still fresh and dashing. Stagnum 2003 proved Plavac wines can be commercially aged.
5. Korak Sauvignon Kamenice 2016
Korak’s single vineyard Sauvignon is a brilliant wine which united refined aroma, acid structure, minerality and a wide, creamy texture. This small work of art proved that Plešivica can produce rich, complex and internationally relevant Sauvignons. Kamenice may represent the beginning of a new school of Sauvignons in Croatia.
4. Kozlović Santa Lucia 2016
Kozlović’s new Santa Lucia should mark the beginning of a new deliberation of aged, but not overly macerated Malvazijas. This wine is fascinating, elegant, full and hedonistic, but its evident Burgundy style, which combines creaminess with minerality, freshness and multi-layered tastes and scents, is a step forward necessary for all producers of aged Malvazijas not fancying orange.
3. Clai Sv. Jakov 2015
Sveti Jakov from 2015 is the most elegant Clai white wine yet. It has kept all the fullness, richness and authenticity of aromas and tastes from earlier good harvests, but lost unnecessary edges and clumsiness which characterise some other Istrian macerated wines. Giorgio Clai is one of the most important Istrian and Croatian winemakers.
2. Benvenuti Teran 2013
Benvenuti’s Teran has deservedly become one of Decanter’s champions. Benvenuti brothers have in the past several harvests consistently produced truly superior Teran, which affirms this variety with dignity internationally.
1. Tomac Brut Amfora 2010
Decanter declared Tomac’s sparkling wine from amphorae at the end of last year one of seven or eight most important sparkling wines in the world. Tomac’s sparkling form 2010 is the first commercially made sparkling wine from amphorae in the world. Brut Amfora 2010 is getting richer and more complex. A well-deserved winner of the 2017 Wine of the Year award.
Translated from Plava Kamenica.
