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Merlot barrique 2002
Merlot barrique 2002
Drnis wine growing region
Dalmacijavino
For the past days and months, years perhaps, Dalmacijavino has been going through the trials of privatization. How much this company is important for small producers of southern Dalmatia in terms of production conditions, purchase of grapes or joint presence on the market under a single label/brand – it is probably best known by the producers themselves.
This bottle of 2002 Merlot is made from the grapes cultivated on a limited location of Petrova polja in Drnis wine growing region. Vinarija Drnis created an excellent wine, but that subtle touch came from aging in the bottle. Many manufacturers of Plavac mali, we won’t name them all, market their wines too soon (the chief reason being the market conditions) as if the wine aging is the responsibility of the consumer, not the producer. However, the technological conditions of production today are different than ten years ago, so today the wine can be truly “tailored” so the 2006 harvest is ready for consummation in 2007 (we are speaking mostly about pedigree reds where the aging process is necessary, whether in the bottle or through a series of technological processes).
In the light of that, this Merlot seems somewhat old fashioned, but then again, each drop of this wine mirrors the sincerity with which it was produced. It is not like numerous cheap imported Merlots where the production “process” is more important than variety, appellation, soil and other characteristics of a wine story. For example, on the shelves of Croatian stores you can find an increasing number of Chardonnays that are wines of process rather than any other characteristic. We can say to some extent that Merlot is for red wines what Chardonnay is for whites – an easily adaptable and grateful variety. Although some consider this to be their flaw, there are some exceptions.
We therefore say: this exceptional Merlot was skillfully made and cultivated. The aroma first reveals a touch of barrique, with the aromas of dark, berry fruits in the background. After some time in the glass, the fruity aromas become even more prominent. Rounded, finely grained tannins will coat your palate in waves, mildly puckering the taste buds. Due to the very firm structure, you might think that this wine still has potential for aging, but it is more than ready for drinking the way it is. The wine has 13.3 percent of alcohol by volume, which is not much if we take into account the aging potential. The aftertaste is extremely dry, lingering and pleasantly bitter.
Best paired with: heavier dishes, meat rolls, barbecue, game sauce, beefsteak, smoked ham (especially from Drnis area), hard goat cheese...
Serving temperature: around 18˚C
Price: around HRK 120
Source: Gastro.hr
Drnis wine growing region
Dalmacijavino
For the past days and months, years perhaps, Dalmacijavino has been going through the trials of privatization. How much this company is important for small producers of southern Dalmatia in terms of production conditions, purchase of grapes or joint presence on the market under a single label/brand – it is probably best known by the producers themselves.
This bottle of 2002 Merlot is made from the grapes cultivated on a limited location of Petrova polja in Drnis wine growing region. Vinarija Drnis created an excellent wine, but that subtle touch came from aging in the bottle. Many manufacturers of Plavac mali, we won’t name them all, market their wines too soon (the chief reason being the market conditions) as if the wine aging is the responsibility of the consumer, not the producer. However, the technological conditions of production today are different than ten years ago, so today the wine can be truly “tailored” so the 2006 harvest is ready for consummation in 2007 (we are speaking mostly about pedigree reds where the aging process is necessary, whether in the bottle or through a series of technological processes).
In the light of that, this Merlot seems somewhat old fashioned, but then again, each drop of this wine mirrors the sincerity with which it was produced. It is not like numerous cheap imported Merlots where the production “process” is more important than variety, appellation, soil and other characteristics of a wine story. For example, on the shelves of Croatian stores you can find an increasing number of Chardonnays that are wines of process rather than any other characteristic. We can say to some extent that Merlot is for red wines what Chardonnay is for whites – an easily adaptable and grateful variety. Although some consider this to be their flaw, there are some exceptions.
We therefore say: this exceptional Merlot was skillfully made and cultivated. The aroma first reveals a touch of barrique, with the aromas of dark, berry fruits in the background. After some time in the glass, the fruity aromas become even more prominent. Rounded, finely grained tannins will coat your palate in waves, mildly puckering the taste buds. Due to the very firm structure, you might think that this wine still has potential for aging, but it is more than ready for drinking the way it is. The wine has 13.3 percent of alcohol by volume, which is not much if we take into account the aging potential. The aftertaste is extremely dry, lingering and pleasantly bitter.
Best paired with: heavier dishes, meat rolls, barbecue, game sauce, beefsteak, smoked ham (especially from Drnis area), hard goat cheese...
Serving temperature: around 18˚C
Price: around HRK 120
Source: Gastro.hr
