On Saturday, January 25th, the second edition of the "100 Best Wines of Croatia" festival was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Zagreb, organized by the Wine Club, led by excellent wine connoisseurs - wine hunter Tomo Jakopović and Bach's son Ivo Kozarčanin.
In the introduction itself, it is necessary to explain how this magic number of 100 best Croatian wines? The selection is due to 25 sommelier – the selectors who suggested wines in 6 categories; sparkling wines, rosé wines, white wines, amber wines, red wines and dessert wines. In the end, eight amber and dessert wines, 12 pink wines, 16 sparkling wines and 28 white and red wines were selected, and then ten judges in each category chose the three best wines. There was no tie, so in the case of the same number of points, some shared second and third place. In parallel, the readers of the portal Wine club They chose their favorites in a sub-election called Voice of the People.
In the sparkling wine category, the sommeliers declared the best Šember Pavel from 2019. Second place was taken by Veralda Blanc de Noirs Brut from 2020, and third place was shared by Korak Brut nature 2019 and Prelac Blanc & Noir 2020. The people's vote in this category chose the sparkling wine Šipun Maličić.
In the rosé wine category, it received the most recommendations. Bastian rosé 2023, second place was shared by Markus rosé 2023 and Miloš Stagnum rosé 2023, and third place was shared by Galić rosé 2023 and Agrolaguna Festigia rosé 2023. Readers of the Wine Club portal chose Galić rosé 2023 as the best rosé wine in this category.
In the white wine category, it triumphed Enjingi's Wedding from 2015, followed by Šain Marelić Pošip Sv. Ivan 2023, and third place was shared by Coletti Chardonnay Oro Bianco 2023 and Antunović Graševina Tradition 2021. The people's vote chose Žlahtina, single vineyard selection 2022 from the Ivan Katunar wine house, as the best wine in this category.
It was rated as the best amber wine. Coletti Neuburger 2018, second place is shared by Sontacchi Superslav 2022 and Veralda Ambra Malvasia 2020, while third place is in the opinion of 25 sommelier – selector Crvik Blasius 2022. In this category, readers rated Jagunić's Traminac Crveni Amber 2022 as the best.
The title of best red wine was won by Baraka Prisbus 2018. It is also the overall best-rated wine with 96 out of a possible hundred points collected by the profession. In second place is Legovina Cuvée Noir 2015, while third place was taken by Tomaz Teran Barbarossa Superior 2018. "Narod" chose Ivo Enjingi's Crno Venje.
In the category of dessert wines, the winner was Kutjevo dd with its 2018 ice grape harvest, second was Đurinski Traminac ice wine 2015, and third place was shared by Iločki podrumi dd, Traminac Selected Dried Berry Harvest 2019 and Benvenuti Muškat San Salvatore 2021. The best dessert wine, as chosen by the people, was Krauthakerova Graševina - Selected Dried Berry Harvest from 2019.
The best wines were accompanied by delicious snacks originating from different parts of Croatia; OPG Zvonimir Marin presented itself with its Drniš prosciutto, and Eko Bar from Đakovo with products made from the Black Slavonian pig – fajferica. There was also goose meat from Kutina, truffles from Motovun, fish from Kaštel Kambelovac, olive oil from Stankovci… All in all, a true hedonistic synesthesia of aromas and flavors.
