A dozen years ago almost nobody in Croatia was commercially producing quality sparklings, except two wineries on Plešivica and the Peršurić family in Istria. And the sparkling market continuously grew. Today it is hard to find a winery that does not produce or is not planning to produce sparkling wines, whether via the traditional (champagne) method or via the tank (charmat) method, who are naturally counting on the huge global success of Prosecco to be felt in sales.
Sparklings are literally produced everywhere in Croatia today: from Istria, through Croatian Highlands (where they naturally belong), to Slavonia and southern Croatia, including the islands and Konavle. Since sparklings, technologically speaking, are a quite complicated product, difficult to attain in every single climate zone, results are not sensational so far.
Still, after extensive multi-month tastings, we have singled out eight good sparklings made with the traditional method, who can compete internationally.
1. Tomac, Brut Amfora 2010 Plešivica (Croatian Highlands) 93-94 points
The Tomac family is probably the first in the world to produce a sparkling wine from amphorae. Today, however, even some of the important champagne producers are procuring amphorae. This innovation gave the Tomac family an honorary seat in the Decanter selection of the most iprotant sparkling wines for 2016. It is not, naturally, unusual that the champion sparkling of the first Croatian brut family comes from one of the rainiest and worst harvests in the newer history. It is too warm in general for grapes for sparklings in Croatia, so the particularly poor harvests for still wines are better for sparklings.
2. Tomac, Brut Rose, Plešivica (Croatian Highlands), 90 points
With the last few series of their Rose, the Tomac family made the most elegant sparkling wine in Croatia: it is ultra-fruity, but at the same time firm and creamy, fresh and completely rounded. It is a lovely, very hedonistic sparkling which creates a sensation of a good life.
3. Meneghetti Brut Classic 2014 (Istria), 89 points
The Meneghetti sparklings from 2014 is arguably the best this winery/oilery/hotel has so far vinified. The reason is, of course, in the harvest, which was quite terrible for still wines, but gave optimal grapes for a sparkling (as far as Istria can provide optimal grapes for sparklings). Meneghetti 2014 is a powerful, intense wine with very lovely pearling, long aftertaste, unusually creamy for a three-year sparkling: it slightly associates of our favourite Ferrari from Trento.
4. Tomac, Diplomat, Plešivica (Croatian Highlands), 89 points
In the Tomac family portfolio, Diplomat replaced the Classic label. It is the central sparkling of this Plešivica winery, brilliantly structured, large and complex on the nose, but lacking some elegance in taste, in order to surpass 90 points.
5. Šember, Rose, Plešivica (Croatian Highlands), 88 points
The Šember family is producing increasingly better sparklings each year, and some of their still white wines can be excellent. The Šember Rose has characteristically very intense fruit scents, long and elegant taste also dominated by fruit, and lovely tiny, permanent pearling.
6. Korak, Rose Brut Nature, Plešivica (Croatian Highlands), 88 points
This spring and summer we consumed six or seven bottles of the first Korak sparkling, made without expedition liqueur. Rose has a French elegance, clear, flowery-fruity, always asking for more. We are almost certain that with a moderate addition of sugar (expedition liqueur), it would leave an even more pleasurable impression, as the addition of sugar incites certain processes in sparkling wine, which are quite significant for its character.
7. Misal, Blanc de Blancs, Extra Brut Pas Dose (Istria), 87 points
Misal Blanc de Blancs used to be the best Istrian and one of two best Croatian sparklings. The Peršurić winery went through several years of a sort of identity crisis, but has been on top of its games lately, witnessed by this very good wine, combining aromas and tastes of apples and citrus with a lovely creaminess.
8. Clai, Extra Brut 2013 (Istria), 87 points
We are great admirers of Clai’s still wines: Malvazija Sveti Jakov is continually one of the best in Croatia, while the last harvests of the cult Brombonero are truly exceptional. But, Clai’s sparkling was not to our liking, as it was too rough, and quite out of balance. The 2013 version, which we tasted so far in Noel and Tač, is a significant step forward towards elegance and balance, while the freshness and wine structure are nearly flawless.
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