Molunat, a wonderful piece of planet Earth. The sea bathes the shore creating a wonderful symphony of sounds, we are seated in the terrace shade, it is slightly hot, but this is expected in summertime, and we are refreshing ourselves with a cooled Cabernet Sauvignon and time slowly drifts. If something is off in the above lines, you are correct, the story of a chilled Cabernet; but it was truly chilled and good. But let’s start from the beginning.
The reason why we will head back to Molunat this coming summer is the new line of red wines by Božo Metković.
We all know more or less how red wines are produced, especially the better ones… some maceration, fermentation, aging in wooden barrels, bottling and then some more aging, waiting some 2-3, even 4 years for the wine to be served, for us to enjoy it. Of course, we serve it at room temperature. This is mostly what we all know and abide by. However, Božo Metković is headed in another direction. In fact, he is always trying out something different and new. Dubrovnik Malvasia, the spine of his cellar, is an excellent wine which sells without a hitch. Yes, some will say it is easy to sell it in Dubrovnik, but that’s not quite true; today any product which is not good won’t do. He tried sparklings as well and it didn’t turn out all too bad; quite the contrary, and we need to consider this is a sparkling from the very south of Dalmatia.
But let us go back to his palette of red wines.
Božo claims he has found a solution for such wines – how to ultimately reduce the time needed for aging; in layman’s terms, a wine aged six months will have all the characteristics of a wine aged two years. The method of production was not made know to us, which is quite logical if we assume this is something that can make a pretty buck.
I have tasted the entire palette of wines Božo speaks of and the impression is there is no “chemistry” involved or such; the wines have a pronounced varietal expression, it is easy to pinpoint the variety you are drinking. Wines have a similar style, but this is alike in all wineries; a winemaker has a style and that is felt in the wine – this is a winemaker’s personality. Organoleptically, wines are flawless, finely balanced, with a lovely body, not too strong, but this is also a matter of style. The wines have a long aftertaste. However, all these wines have a pronounced freshness, which is in no way a characteristic of wines from this area. Yes, we drank all these wines quite chilled, but this did not interfere in retaining the above attributes.
I have to admit it was a slightly unusual sensation. There are certain habits in the wine world or, better said, rules we abide by. And people are people, they accept novelties uneasily. My impression on the wine are as I wrote them. Whether I am right or not, time will tell. Is Božo on the verge of a revolution, time will also tell. In fact, it will be told by the audience of the wine. We tasted cold red wines on the terrace of his restaurant in Molunat and it was not bad. Unusual yes, but not bad. Will the audience embrace it, that is the question. This will take a lot of presentations and it still may not work. Question is also how winemaking colleagues will accept it, as this is something that topples all current postulates. However, on the other hand, it can bring in good money. In any case, Božo Metković made something different. The audience and wine critics are on the move. The biggest issue is that such a wine production method alters tradition, and winemaking is based on tradition. In any case, taste the wines, try something different; who knows, you may like it.
I will try the entire palette once more, at home, in peace; just so I am not under the influence of Božo, the sea and Molunat and then I will make my verdict. Whatever it may be, it is my own; you make your own, as all of us are different, including the wines. No matter how this story ends, Molunat is a place where I will always gladly visit. The Monika Restaurant in that same Molunat is a place where one can eat a phenomenal beefsteak and even better fish. While drinking Božo’s wine.
We will certainly see each other next summer! Who knows, maybe Božo is preparing something new. And all those who want to taste the wines I described, it is best to seek them in Molunat, as there you will also receive special energy and expression.
Translated from the G.E.T. Report.
