Price: 75 kn
Ahead of the conference on Tribidrag (Crljenak Kaštelanski, Pribidrag, Kratošija, Primitivo, Zinfandel) on April 27 and 28, I have the ideal wine to divert attention to a rare circumstance.
Tribidrag is (among other things) significant as a variety from which came Plavac Mali, according to many the variety with the highest potential for wine production which gains value over time. However, the offspring of Tribidrag are also Vranac and Plavina (Plavka)…
Plavina is still the second most common red variety in Dalmatia. However, it is rarely bottled as a monovariety wine. And I have encountered many people who have an issue with Plavac. Not with the variety itself, but with wines which can be eccentric and full of character, but are generally pungent and tough to swallow.
Imagine a Plavac without the rough tannins, but still robust, ideally rustic with an accented Mediterranean spice kick. Such a wine is the Sladić Plavina.
A very well balanced wine, not burdening, but drinkable. Extremely grateful on the table. Not many Croatian red wines are that versatile. This may be due to the harmoniously balanced acids of the Sladić Plavina, but if Sladić can do it, what are others waiting for? This should be the everyday wine of the south consumed at acceptable prices both in restaurants and homes.
Okay, not everyone has positions near Plastovo like Sladić. The microclimate here is specific. But Plavina would not be so widespread if other conditions did not favour it as well.
While winemakers pointlessly argue whether the “newfound” variety should be called Tribidrag or Crljenak, I hope that greed will not be paid by consumers.
In the light of the fact that these newborn Crljenak and Tribidrag are seedlings of Primitivo anyway, the Split conference will offer tastings of more or less successful wines and they should be congratulated on that. I hope that someone will ask the question if all that fruit concentration with softer tannins is the reason that Tribidrags cost about double as much than this Plavina, for example.
Considering there are wines in Apulia, specifically Primitivos at the price of this Plavina, incomparably longer living, more authentic, traditional, balanced, impressive and with more character, I hope someone will offer an answer.
For the original and more from Vinopija.hr blog on wine, click here.
https://vinopija.com/2017/04/25/opg-sladic-marko-plavina-2015/
