Published: 07.12.2025
Wines are like people. You can click with some immediately, with others later on, and with some never. Sometimes the love is yours alone, others may not take a liking to the wine. The 2021 White Sparkling, from the distinctive Kaštela winemaker Ivan Kovač Matela, is a wine with character. It is a wine first and foremost, a true wine, and only then a sparkling wine. It is quite fresh, thanks to the bubbles formed by secondary fermentation in the bottle, yet rich, broad, and deep, thanks to a magnificent grape variety. It is made from Maraština and is truly special, just like the winemaker himself.
After a sip, you don’t feel rapids or waterfalls in your mouth: the wine flows like a slow river. And like a river, it doesn’t stop, it lingers. Even after you swallow it, it leaves a trace on the palate that makes you wanting more. Its aroma is faintly reminiscent of the spring snowflake, a harbinger of spring, though it certainly doesn’t make you feel like dozing off. It beautifully enhanced quiet late-night conversations accompanied by bacon, soft Grabarac cheese, and pickled asparagus.