I love Frankovka. I do regret this Pannonian red variety does not receive more attention, so any bottle which stands out make me happy. At the presentation of wines from the Danube Region, Slavonia, parts of Croatian Highlands and Dalmatia which will be on the market this year, I was thrilled by the 2013 Frankovka from the Kolar Winery, located in Suza in Baranja region. I published this on Facebook and was saddened by the reactions as almost no one asked about the wine. They commented if a 4.5 years ‘old’ Frankovka can be present at the fair of new wines.
It can, as the organizer of this En Primeur tasting stated they are presenting “young white wines from the 2017 harvest and red wines of older harvests which have not been on the market.” Frankovka Kolar Personal Collection was until recently in barrels, has settled down in the bottle and will be for sale after the Decanter rating in London which ends on May 4. In Zagreb I also enjoyed the excellent, young and crazy Jakob Syrah 2015. It is not news that Zdravko Ilija Jakobović makes good wines from grapes in his vineyard in Brodski Stupnik, but it is a joy that they get better each year.
From the 2017 harvest came an excellent late harvest Graševina from dried grapes by Mladen Papak from Ilok. The harvest took place in November and the wine has all the predicate nobility, around 80 grams of residual sugars and is not overly dense. It does not stick to the palate like honey, but is pleasant to drink. And perfectly pleasant is Mladen’s young Rhine Riesling Radosh. Even the winemaker does not know precisely how much sugars are in it, estimating between 10 and 15 grams, but it does have 8 grams of acids per liter. Sweet on the nose, almost dry in the mouth, showing that an excellent Riesling, although belonging to colder climate, can be made in the warm Danube region.
The Kutjevo cellar proved itself with Graševinas, of course. The one in the quality category for 2017 is a classic varietal wine with pronounced green apple scent, and the young superior one is still quite a closed wine. For wine lovers it is a shame it had to go on the market soon as it will develop nicely in the bottle in three, four months, but the winery must be happy that the 2016 harvest is sold out. Even larger potential is in the Graševina de Gotho 2017. Slovenian oenologist Iztok Klenar, advisor in Kutjevo, explained how late harvest grapes were introduced into must and extracted after fermentation, pressed and mixed with wine from the regular harvest. They gained a wine of fine aroma and complex taste which will go well with fresh water fish.
A good impression was left also by Mass Wines from Đakovo. Their Graševina is excellent, the Chardonnay fresh with lovely fruit scents, primarily banana, and the price very friendly. Bottles are around 40 kuna. Međimurje was well promoted by fine Sauvignons, Pušipels, Moslavina with Škrlets, and a surprise from Dalmatia was a Pošip from an area we never tasted it from. The Grabovac family from Proložac planted it on slopes of local hills and gained from the 2017 harvest a wine with a firm body, excellent ratio of alcohol and acids, but with a subdued scent. The vineyard is young, as is the wine, so the scent may open up. The standard issues Pošips came from Grgić Winery on Pelješac and Stina from Brač. The latter also presented an excellent Vugava. It is especially mineral and it seems it will set a new standard for this variety from Vis. And the best Chardonnay south of Plešivica is still from Opuzen. The young one by the Prović Winery is quite fine, and the 2016 Naron is excellent. This Chardonnay was nurtured on yeasts for five months and spent over half a year settling in a used barrel, and I am eager to try it with grilled eel.
