I had my first taste of Croatian wines last week and I’m fortunate enough to be the rep on a white and a red that in my opinion are fantastic. They’re different from anything I’ve tasted before. I have an increased curiosity in Balkan wines lately, which is why I tried the Vranac a few weeks back. This time it was a Malvazija and a Teran.
The Malvazija is the Degrassi 2011 Bomarchese and the Teran is the Degrassi 2007 Terre Rosse (named for the red soil in which it grows). Degrassi’s grapes are planted on the northwestern part of the Istrian Peninsula of Croatia.
The Malvazija is quite funky and very unique - it’s a rich white with fruit characteristics (I noted mostly tropical fruit), nut, and floral. It’s smooth and ripe and finishes with a clean feel.
The Teran is bold yet elegant, with a lovely deep red color and a lighter rim, ripe red and dark fruit, floral characteristics, and very soft spice, with an expressiveness that reveals an identity completely foreign to me, since I had never tasted Teran or any Croatian red before. It’s delicious with a soft feel in spite of its initial boldness, and would pair perfectly with meat dishes or would be a wonderful sipper on its own.
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