2020 Pomalo Plavina

Region: Dalmatia < Croatia

Grapes: Plavina

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic farming (uncertified), dry-farmed; clay topsoil over limestone; destemmed, macerated on the skins for 5 days, then pressed into a stainless steel tank to undergo spontaneous fermentation.  Bottled unfined/unfiltered under screw cap with minimal added sulfur; 13% ABV; 300 cases

Winemaker: Mare Bura

Light, chillable Croatian red that drinks like totally dry, a bit spicy, black cherry Kool-Aid for adults!

One of Croatia’s 130 indigenous grape varieties, Plavina is a lesser-known, lighter red - the shy brother of beastly Plavac Mali.  The thinner skin lends itself to fewer tannins and a decreased resistance to sunlight (On the Adriatic, who would have thought?) Slightly inland from the coastal town of Šibenik, Plavina grows on terraced slopes between 50-300m above sea level.  The soil is mostly dark red, almost clay-like on top of a sturdy limestone base, like the entire Dalmantian coast. Cooler nights are a hallmark of Croatian summers, letting these grapes balance their sugars and acid before a late summer harvest. 

After de-stemming, the Plavina is left to soak for two days in a cool cellar until the skins are pressed off about a week later. Fermentation finishes in stainless steel and the wine naturally settles with no nasty clarifying agents (remember bull’s blood? ew).  We recommend a nice chill on this wine, then enjoy it as it evolves and changes as it warms up on your table, but we doubt it will even last that long. You can expect berry aromas, dark cherry, breakfast pastry - all without the sweetness.  The young tannins give it a grippy yet approachable mouthfeel and you won’t want to wait too long between sips.