#viinilehti

[jovanl]

Motovun seen from Vinarija Tomaz, Istria, Croatia 🇭🇷 (www.vina-tomaz.hr)

[wandererinwonder]

My latest article: Vina Antičević, Pelješac Peninsula, Southern Dalmatia

[napa-agency-blog]

WINE ILLUSTRATIONS BY JUSSI KAAKINEN

Hey, all you wine lovers! Take a look at these stylish wine illustrations by Jussi Kaakinen for VIINI-lehti (Finnish wine magazine). Jussi is a regular illustrator for this magazine’s columns about different wine areas and grape varieties. Here you can see Jussi’s interpretations of grapes like Merlot, Malbec, Barbera and Glera.

So learn your wines with Jussi and see more of his brilliant illustrations here.

[jovanl]

Ipša’s Santa Elena 2017: certified organic coupage 50/50 of refošk and merlot from Istria’s highest vineyard in Motovun’s municipality, Croatia. Sour and black cherry, but mostly raspberry. In mouth some rosemary, a hint of chocolate and leather. Full body, tannins still rather gritty, great acidity which compensates well its 14.5% alcohol level. Very long finish where raspberry flavour dominates. 93 pts now but it needs at least one more year to soften the tannins and develop more tertiaries. Ipša have achieved prestigious awards for their olive oils, recently they’ve also started winemaking with brilliant results.

[jovanl]

At Wine bar-shop Peninsula, Donja Banda, Pelješac, Dalmatia, Croatia. A fantastic Mare Postup 2017, pure Plavac Mali by Vinarija Bura Mrgudić and named after its winemaker: Mrs. Marija “Mare” Mrgudić, who’s also the author of two of the wines served at President Biden’s inauguration dinner. Dark purple. Prevalence of red fruit (mostly raspberry). Full body, good acidity, balance about perfect. Amazingly long finish with a persistence of liquorice and herbal notes. 97 pts.

Photo on the left: August 2020 (iPhone 8). Photo on the right: September 2019 (iPhone SE)

[jovanl]

Testament Babić 2017, certified organic by Testament winery, Šibenik county, Dalmatia, Croatia. EYE: very dark ruby. NOSE: red fruit (cherry, raspberry) as well as black (black cherry, a bit of blackberry), spiciness (black pepper, cloves) PALATE: medium acidity and structure, tannins are silky. The black fruit prevails on the red one, spices more evident, good minerality (salt), a bit of carrob. Very long finish. Perfect balance. An awesome Babić. 95 pts.

[jovanl]

Antunović (Pelješac Peninsula) Rukatac sur lie. After few hours of skin contact, the must continues its fermentation sur lie in 500 lit oak barrels. It spends in wood 8 months. EYE: pale gold, greenish nuance. NOSE: lemon (fruit and zest). PALATE: lemon, here the zest more evident, a bit flinty, some buttery feeling. Well balanced and round, great length. An excellent Rukatac to look for 91 pts. At Peninsula wine bar-shop in Donja Banda, Pelješac

[jovanl]

Vinarija Cipre’s Grk 2019, fermented and aged in steel, no batonnage. EYE: pale gold NOSE: golden apple and lemon. PALATE: golden apple more pronounced, zest, some flint. Good structure and acidity, long persistence. I gave it 90 pts (August 2020), but I think it will still improve in the months to come. From a small family winery in the village of Lumbarda, Korčula island, Southern Dalmatia

[jovanl]

Viña Frontera, El Hierro, Canary Islands. 🇪🇸Baboso Tinto 2017. EYE: ruby/granat NOSE: balsamic (laurel). PALATE of great complexity: laurel, liquorice, cacao, black pepper, rose. Medium to big structure, silky tannins, perfect balance, a nearly never ending finish. Awesome wine! 97 pts.

Baboso Tinto is widely cultivated in the archipelago, it can also be found in Asturias and parts of Portugal where it’s called Alvarinho Tinto.

[jovanl]

Plavac Mali vineyards in Postup, Pelješac Peninsula, Southern Dalmatia

[jovanl]

Vinarija Toreta: Dessert wine n.v. From Smokvica, island Korčula🇭🇷, a straw wine (“passito”) made mostly of Pošip plus some Rukatac (Maraština) EYE: gold. NOSE: mostly apricot. PALATE: apricot, Canteloupe melon, yellow peach, some almond towards the end. Good acidity, perfect balance, great persistence. Really excellent! 93 pts.

[jovanl]

Vinarija Fakin: Teran rosé semi-dry 2019 Motovun, Istria, Croatia Scroll down for the English text

OCCHIO: rosa di media intensità.

NASO: frutta rossa, non molto espressivo

🇮🇹PALATO: le note di frutta rossa sono qui molto evidenti: fragola, visciola. Notevole salinità. Elevata acidità (zucchero residuo appena percettibile Struttura tra leggera e media, molto lungo. Dal suolo “Bijela Zemlja” (“Terra Bianca”), marna eocenica simile alla Ponca (Opoka in Slovenia). Un vino che si accompagna bene a piatti a base di carne bianca ma può essere anche apprezzato fuori pasto. 90 pt. www.fakinwines.com (vendita online in UE) Per un articolo su Vinarija Fakin vi segnalo il mio, pubblicato il 23/11/2020 su www.thewineandfoodofbabaceca.wordpress.com Foto a sinistra: il winemaker Marko Fakin

🇬🇧Vinarija Fakin: Teran rosé semi-dry 2019, Motovun, Istria, Croatia.

EYE: medium pink

NOSE: gentle red fruit aromas

PALATE: fruity aromas very expressive (strawberry, sour cherry). Remarkable saltiness. High acidity (residual sugar barely perceivable), light to medium body, very long finish.From “Bijela Zemlja” (“White Land”) Eocene Marl similar to Colli Orientali and Collio’s “Ponca” (“Opoka” In Slovenia). A wine which can be well paired with white meat dishes or enjoyed by its own. 90 pts. For an article about the winery, I’ve published one on 11/23/2020 on my blog: www.thewineandfoodofbabaceca.wordpress.com

The winery website is: www.fakinwines.com they sell online in EU. For online sale infos in USA: www.croatianpremiumwine.com Left image: winemaker Marko Fakin

[jovanl]

Scroll down for Italian text

🇬🇧Vina Senjanović: Plavac Tihe Braće 2016 Plavac Mali from the sandy (Löß) soil of Tihe Braće Polje (“The Plain of the Silent Brothers” since during the Middle Ages was property of a Benedectine Monastery), Vis island. EYE: very dark purple. NOSE: varietal (carrob, sour cherry) aromas intense but not intrusive) PALATE: full body (very much so), very good acidity, balance is perfect, flavours consistent with aromas, but add juniper baies, vegetal notes (bay leaves) and a touch of chocolate. Tannins starting to show silkiness, incredible vertical length. For me a “superplavac” 97 pts now but it needs two more years to reach its peak. 2016 was a great vintage for reds in Central and Southern Dalmatia. Tasted at Casa Rossa Motovun

🇮🇹Vina Senjanović: Plavac Tihe Braće 2016. Plavac Mali dal suolo sabbioso (loess) di Tihe Braće Polje (Piana dei Fratelli Silenziosi dal fatto che nel Medioevo l’area era proprieta’ di un monastero benedettino), isola di Vis. OCCHIO: porpora scurissima. NASO: varietale (carrubo, visciola), intenso, non inteusivo. PALATO: grande struttura accompagnata da ottima acidita’ a dispetto dei suoi 15 gradi, anche qui carrubo e visciola con aggiunta di bacche di ginepro, alloro, un po’di cioccolato. Gli abbondanti tannini stanno diventando setosi, grande equilibrio, lunghissimo, una lunghezza che definisco “verticale”, si sente fino al centro del petto. Un “superplavac”, 97 pt. adesso, ma crescera’ per almeno altri due anni. Il 2016 e’ stata una grande annata per i rossi della Dalmazia Centrale e Meridionale. Consiglio fortemente di decantarlo. Degustato a Casa Rossa Motovun

Tihe Braće Polje during pruning, January 2020

[jovanl]

Krajančić’s Pošip 2019, from Zavalatica, island Korčula EYE: straw. Nose: golden apple, sage, some yellow flowers. PALATE: here also a bit of lemon. Medium body, good acidity, perfect balance, lovely roundness, long finish. A very good one. 91 pts. Tasted at wine bar-shop Peninsula, Donja Banda, Pelješac 🇭🇷

[jovanl]

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A post shared by Gian Luca G (@decko_vina_i_hrane) on Jun 14, 2020 at 10:57am PDT

Vinarija Šipun in Vrbnik, island of Krk, Croatia

[jovanl]

Arshura 12, MARCHE IGT. A 100% Montepulciano by Valter Mattoni, a small producer in Castorano (AP)

EYE: almost black

NOSE: black fruit (mostly wild cherry, also plum), a bit of tobacco too

PALATE: consistent with the nose plus a touch of black pepper. Powerful structure which balances well the high alcohol content (14.5%) Tannins almost completely softened. The very long finish gives a silky, wrapping, retronasal sensation. An excellent wine