Graševina is a wine synonym for Slavonia and the entire eastern Croatia, and Vlado Krauthaker has been for a quarter of a century a synonym for Graševina. However, for a while now Krauthaker has produced very good red wines. At the end of the past decade Krauthaker’s wines received several medals at international competitions of Cabernet and Merlot in Italy, and his Mercs 2012 has for a while enjoyed a cult wine status among domestic connoisseurs (Mercs is short for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon).
Recently we tasted the 2015 Mercs. We had two bottles in a single day, in two different restaurants. Although still very young, the wine is excellent. It is especially juicy, submissive as a Merlot, with enough Cabernet firmness to leave an impression of authority, seriousness and aging potential. The nose and taste are dominated by dark berry fruits and plums, with some, but not too much smoke, and a bit of herbs. Despite young, but ripe tannins, the wine is already so savoury and goes so well with food, it is hard not to drink it quickly once on the table. Mercs 2015 is a new success by Vlado Krauthaker and a very tasty proof that Slavonia can produce first class red wines.
The new Mercs has been tested with barely grilled tuna, grilled pork chops and bloody steak. It functioned very well in all three combinations. It is thus a wine for substantial meat portions and blue fish on the grill.
Translated from Plava Kamenica, for more click here.
