Badel’s brand Korlat, named after a beautiful vineyard above Benkovac in northern Dalmatia, recorded its biggest international success this May. Syrah Korlat 2014 was awarded a gold medal and the most important global wine competition, the Decanter World Wine Awards.
Korlat’s success is more significant for two specific reasons. Firstly, a very small number of Dalmatian red varieties has previously won gold medals at the most relevant international wine fairs: Dalmatian red wines were mostly objected to due to lack of freshness and excessive green tannins.
Secondly, the 2014 harvest in Croatian vine growing regions was especially problematic, so it is an even bigger success to produce a champion wine in such a difficult harvest. Recently we tasted for the first time this wine. Its style reminds of classic Syrah’s of northern Rhone, but with an important terroir element.
It is as fresh as the northern Rhone Syrah, with recognizable nuances of black pepper, perfectly smooth, rounded and elegant, as a superior French schooled wine. But the aromas of hot soil and bush, so characteristic of the best Dalmatian vineyards, from Korlat to Dingač, make this Syrah authentic and original. Taste of ripe, macerated, sweet red and black berry fruit, give the champion Korlat a hedonistic streak which will make this excellent wine, worth obviously more than 90 points, into an instant bestseller.
Finally, Decanter gold for Korlat Syrah is further proof that the large Croatian wineries are now on par with boutique wineries.
Translated from Plava Kamenica, for the original click here.
