The white wines “Angel with a mistake” (Graševina, Chardonnay) and Maestoso (Chardonnay), red wines “Angel with a mistake” (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Frankovka, and Cabernet Franc) and “Čaruga” (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot), and as a surprise dessert Cuvée (Cabernet Sauvignon, Franconia and Pinot Noir) were featured. 
The owner of the Apolitico winery from Rezovac near Virovitica is the former Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Tolušić, who was also the Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds in one term. The wines were presented by former Minister Tomislav Tolušić, oenologist Ivana Nemet, who used to work at Feravino and Orahovica and recently is the director of the Technological Innovation Center in Virovitica and sommelier and head of the Wine Club Tomislav Jakopović. 
Viticulture has been in the Tolušić family since ancient times. Tomislav Tolušić inherited a vineyard with 500 vines. In addition to the family vineyard in Rezovac, in Kutjevo at the Kaptol and Vidim locations, 6 hectares of vineyards with white varieties have been leased. In Baranja, red grapes from Pinkert and Kolar are being bought. The annual production is 60,000 liters and 11 labels, but only two people are employed in the winery.
The first tasting was of “Angel with a mistake” – a 2020 vintage with 13% alcohol. It is a 90 percent Graševina with 10% Chardonnay. The wine was aged in a 1200-liter Georgian amphora, with maceration and fermentation for about 20 days. After that, it was in an oak barrique barrel for 12 months. Four thousand bottles were filled. The wine is golden yellow to amber. The aroma is dominated by fruitiness, and the taste is pleasantly soft, dense, and refreshing. The wine was named after the song of the Virovitica group Vatra, with whose frontman Ivan Dečak, Tomislav Tolušić grew up.
The tasting continued with Maestos – a Chardonnay, 2020 vintage with 13% alcohol made with the sur lie method. The fermentation was done in new oak barrels of 500 liters, and after the first overflow, the wine was returned to the oak barrels. Then, the cultivation of the sediment begins. The grapes for this wine were bought in the Radovanci vineyard near Velika, grown under professional supervision with no more than 600-700 grams per vine. Maestos is predicted to be long-lived and is filled in just 1,900 bottles. Nuts dominate the aroma with soft tannins
“Angel with a mistake”, a red wine from the 2020 vintage with 14% alcohol, was made from four varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Frankovka, and Cabernet Franc) in four amphorae. After the macerations and fermentations were completed, a blend was made and returned to the amphora. The aroma and taste are dominated by the freshness of red and black fruit.
Red wine “Čaruga,” a 2020 vintage with 14.5 alcohol, is made with 50% Baranja Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Apart from the oak barrel, this wine was also cultivated in chestnut, with 30% more tannins, which can be felt in the fruity aroma and taste. It is filled in 5000 bottles.
At the end of the Apolitico winery tasting, a Cuvée 2020 vintage of dried grapes was served. Unfortunately, all 1,500 half-liter bottles have been sold, and only a few have been preserved for tastings and archives. This dessert wine consists of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Franconia, and 10% Pinot Noir and has 90 grams of unfermented sugar per liter and 15.5% alcohol. The grapes were dried in three dryers, applying the Italian passito method.
The bottle design features illustrations by comic artist Davor Schunk. The Apolitico wines tasted at the Wine Club are unique and rare, and oenologist Ivana Nemet showed all the splendor of her talent that cannot be manifested in a large winery due to market reasons.
By the way, Tolušić is not the first minister-winemaker. Former Minister of Agriculture Petar Cobankovic was also a winemaker.
Photos: Marko Čolić
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