22 medals for Croatian wines

This is a great year for Croatian wines, say the organizers of the prestigious Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB). Its 32nd edition for white and red wines was held in early June in Yinchuan, in the heart of China's Ningxia wine region, and according to the results just published, Croatia excelled. It won 22 medals, twice as many as last year, of which as many as six medals went to Istria.

Kozlović Santa Lucia Malvazija 2018 and Medea Assemblage 2022 won gold medals, Vina Poletti Chardonnay 2024, Agrolaguna Syrah Festigia 2022 and Agrolaguna Castello Festigia 2022 won silver medals, and the big gold went to Damjanić Clemente 2020.

Damjanić Clemente 2020 is a wine of exceptional structure, complexity and perfect balance. This is a layered and superbly crafted wine that reveals intense aromas of dark fruit, spice, and perfectly integrated wood. On the palate, the tannins are firm but ripe, providing elegance to the rich fruit character without overpowering it. The wine impressed with its exceptional persistence and harmony, ending with a long and elegant finish. A superb wine that combines depth, refinement, and precision.

The Vinistra association, which brought the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles to Croatia for the first time two years ago when it organized the judging of white and red wines in Poreč, is extremely proud of Croatia's success. Four of its members – Josip Barišić, Marko Krstačić, Ivan Damjanić and Vinistra director Ivan Marić, participated in the judging as part of the Croatian delegation of judges, along with Ivana Ovčina Čagalj, Ina Bednar Jozinović, Tomislav Tuđen, Monika Prović and Ksenija Matić.

"This is another exceptional result for Croatia, and especially for Istrian winemakers who win medals at the most prestigious competitions, thus confirming their top quality. This was also confirmed in China at the excellently organized 32nd edition of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Participating in the judging as part of the Croatian delegation of nine judges and experiencing the Ningxia wine region was an unforgettable experience," says Josip Barišić, vice president of Vinistra, the association of winegrowers and winemakers of Istria.

“We are delighted with Croatia’s strong performance at CMB 2025 in the red and white wine sessions, reflecting the impressive progress and growing international recognition of its wines. The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is not only the most rigorous and prestigious wine competition, but also a strong promotional platform. These medals will certainly have a positive impact on the awarded wines, further supported by our numerous initiatives in local markets and in retail, including collaborations with major retail chains such as CAVAVIN and Pam. Also, the development of our Wine & Spirits Experience by CMB project in countries such as Mexico, South Korea, and Benin — where exclusively CMB medal wines are presented — further increases global visibility and prestige,” said Quentin Havaux, Director of CMB.

Over the three days of this prestigious judging, 375 experts from 56 countries blind-tasted 7,165 samples from 49 countries. As host of this year's edition, China participated with a record 663 wines, and 280 were awarded. Chinese winemakers won eight grand gold medals, one hundred gold medals and 122 silver medals.

Foto: Concours Mondial de Bruxelles