Wines
Wines - archive
Korak, Chardonnay Sur Lie 2007
In the past ten years, some winemakers from Plesivica have had some very good to excellent harvests. These grapes were used to create respectable Chardonnay wines, close with their quality and style to top quality Mersaults, Puligny-Montrachets and Saint-Aubins. Some people will find this comparison a tad pretentious, but the quality of some of these wines, like the one we are tasting here, is truly Burgundy in character. The only significant difference is in the accessibility of wine to average Croatian wine drinker – the local wines can be enjoyed at the prices that are several times lower. They are still relatively high, but the bottle content can surely justify the price.
The wine’s richness and character is first seen in the deep and clear golden yellow hue, with a few suspended particles floating around the glass. The aroma is quite a rhapsody in the nose. The well balanced fresh aromas of apples and lemon as the representatives of the fruit side of wine are in the best way accompanied with the aromas of hazelnuts, honey, butter and hibiscus, as the part coming from the oak barrel during the wine’s maturation. The best of all is that the aromas of aging and ripening on the yeasts are present in the right amount, just enough that they don’t disturb the fruity freshness and maturity of the wine aged in burnt oak, but still contributing to the depth and fullness of the aroma.
Namely, it quite often happens that wines looking for a “sur lie” style end up with yeast aromas that are too much accentuated (we can freely call them “overleesed”) that unnecessarily make the wine heavy and difficult for consumption. Half an hour of contact with the oxygen brought out somewhat rustic notes of dried herbs, rounding up the exceptional aroma profile of this wine. Wine is very much creamy, dry and very delicious on the palate, while the finish has a spicy bitter elegance, and lasts for minutes after you drink it.
The acidity is up to par – sufficiently present, but still soft enough that they don’t disturb the “buttery” texture. The strong body is completed with soft tannins that are some kind of a support to the bitter-sour side of the wine, while the solid 13.9 percent of alcohol by volume cannot felt at any moment. Perfectly balanced and elegant, but still very rich wine – this is a combination that is difficult to achieve, but once achieved, it guarantees ecstatic satisfaction.
It’s been a long time since a Chardonnay thrilled our senses in a way that this one did. This is the best Croatian Chardonnay in the international style of the Old World. It is ready to be consumed, but it can also age for another 5 to 10 years.
Best paired with: grilled salmon, richly covered with lemon juice, chicken or turkey white meat in cream based sauces, ripe cheese
Serving temperature: 14 ºC
Price: around 160 kuna
Source: Gastro.hr
The wine’s richness and character is first seen in the deep and clear golden yellow hue, with a few suspended particles floating around the glass. The aroma is quite a rhapsody in the nose. The well balanced fresh aromas of apples and lemon as the representatives of the fruit side of wine are in the best way accompanied with the aromas of hazelnuts, honey, butter and hibiscus, as the part coming from the oak barrel during the wine’s maturation. The best of all is that the aromas of aging and ripening on the yeasts are present in the right amount, just enough that they don’t disturb the fruity freshness and maturity of the wine aged in burnt oak, but still contributing to the depth and fullness of the aroma.
Namely, it quite often happens that wines looking for a “sur lie” style end up with yeast aromas that are too much accentuated (we can freely call them “overleesed”) that unnecessarily make the wine heavy and difficult for consumption. Half an hour of contact with the oxygen brought out somewhat rustic notes of dried herbs, rounding up the exceptional aroma profile of this wine. Wine is very much creamy, dry and very delicious on the palate, while the finish has a spicy bitter elegance, and lasts for minutes after you drink it.
The acidity is up to par – sufficiently present, but still soft enough that they don’t disturb the “buttery” texture. The strong body is completed with soft tannins that are some kind of a support to the bitter-sour side of the wine, while the solid 13.9 percent of alcohol by volume cannot felt at any moment. Perfectly balanced and elegant, but still very rich wine – this is a combination that is difficult to achieve, but once achieved, it guarantees ecstatic satisfaction.
It’s been a long time since a Chardonnay thrilled our senses in a way that this one did. This is the best Croatian Chardonnay in the international style of the Old World. It is ready to be consumed, but it can also age for another 5 to 10 years.
Best paired with: grilled salmon, richly covered with lemon juice, chicken or turkey white meat in cream based sauces, ripe cheese
Serving temperature: 14 ºC
Price: around 160 kuna
Source: Gastro.hr
