Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/935769
78 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 { sommcon } REGION/COUNTRY: CROATIA Cliff Rames, Editor-at-Large of The SOMM Journal and Founder of Wines of Croatia, led SommCon attendees through both Croatia and Georgia. "Croatia has an interesting connection to California," said Cliff Rames as he described the quest for Zinfandel's origins during his introduction of the Cen- tral European country. Although Primitivo was a DNA match for Zinfandel, the latter shared no relation with other grape varieties in Italy; this suggested its cultivation there was recent. Geographically, Croatia appeared to be a plausible source, and once re - searchers began testing, they found numerous varieties that shared Zinfandel's genetic material—including Plavac Mali. After years of study, they traced an exact match: seven vines that were locally called Crljenak Kaštelanski (histori - cally known as Tribidrag) in the Dalmatia region of coastal Croatia. Plavac Mali, native to the Adriatic Coast, is the offspring of Tribidrag and Dobricˇi`c. The region's extremely dry conditions and lack of irrigation make viticulture difficult, and over the years, Plavac Mali was preferred over Zinfan- del. "It held its acidity longer and had a thicker skin, which prevented disease," explained Rames. "It also gave more structure to the wines in terms of tannin and was better managed in the vineyard." Milos 2007 Plavac Mali, Pelješac Peninsula, Dalmatia, Croatia Rames presented a 2007 Plavac Mali from the Milos estate vineyard to show how well the wine can age despite its low acidity and higher alcohol con- tent. The vineyard's limestone terraces feature extreme 30-degree slopes that appear to be pure rock; trellising is considered sacrilege and vines are free to grow as they're "left to their own de- vices in the blazing, rocky terrain of Croatia," said Rames. The wine is fermented with native yeast and aged three years in neutral Slavonian oak. Tasting Notes Intriguing aromas of mint, clove, and mushroom. On the palate, notes of bay leaf and green figs mingle around a tannic core of light roasted coffee, mint, chocolate, and plum pudding. A fascinating wine considering its maturity. —M.B.