The winery’s sommelier Ivan Štefanac presented wines that are currently on the market or ready for release, as well as two from unlabeled bottles. The first contained Croatia’s northernmost Crljenak Kaštelanski or, one might say, Crljenak Kutjevački. This is a variety also known as Tribidrag, Kratošija, Primitivo and Zinfandel. Vlado Krauthaker has planted 44 varieties, perhaps even a few more, but he bottles the majority of them only when he is satisfied with the wine. This Crljenak is, I believe, his third: he produced the first one a decade or more ago as a rosé, and later we drank a red version as well. The current release is from last year’s harvest. It bursts with freshness, the tannins are gentle, and it has a promising future ahead of it. The second unlabeled bottle held a 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon. Even without a label, for now, it possesses everything a good red wine needs. However, the star of the tasting was the 2019 Merlot Selekcija.
It spent 36 months in a small barrel, resulting in an excellent, full-bodied, opulent, expansive, and complex, yet never heavy wine made from a relatively simple grape variety. We also enjoyed a few reds out of 2023 vintage. It was an excellent yea. Krauthaker Winery produced a superb Cabernet Franc, followed by a fresh and lively Blauburger, and the classically solid Mercs, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Merlot. The Pinot Noir needs a bit more time in the bottle for the tannins to soften, while the Syrah is also showing great promise. Naturally, Graševina dominates the white wine selection. From this vintage, wines made from grapes grown at the Vidim, Pomale, Podgorje, and Šaševi sites, each bottled separately, are destined for the domestic market, while the Graševina from the Koria vineyard has been reserved for export. Those wines feature the winery's signature slanted, triangular label.
The story began with a rosé made from Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, followed by white wines, some well-known, others less so. These included Zelenac (Rotgipfler) 2024, Graševina Mitrovac 2024, Viognier 2023 and Verduzzo 2022. The most impressive was the Pinot Gris 2024, a full-bodied wine with wonderful mineral freshness. A day to remember, like every day spent at the Krauthaker winery.