Davor Zdjelarević is the founder of the first private winery in Croatia (1985) and the first diffused winery in Croatia (2014) and was the guest at the eighth edition of Wine talks with journalist Tomislav Stiplošek at the Wine Bar Procaffe in Zagreb.
We tasted the Z light wines ranged from the light wines to the Nagual blends. Z light is a specially created wine series with a lower percentage of alcohol. Cuvee Blanc, Cuvee Rose and Cuvee Rouge are young, one-year wines, with floral and fruity aromas. Wines of Z.W.S. (Zdjelarević Wine Selection) are wines produced in cooperation with Davor Zdjelarević and winemakers throughout Croatia. Thirty years of oenological experience and good relationships and friendships with many winemakers with whom they share the passion for creativity inspired the Zdjelarević family to design this wine series. They are made in limited series and are intended exclusively for restaurants and vinotheques.
Wine talks brought us the Z.W.S. Sauvignon 2014. Visitors, journalists, wine experts and other wine lovers were surprised by the vintage of Sauvignon and its quality. Namely, it is not common for the sauvignon to mature and to be so refined. Zdjelarević has shown that sauvignon can mature and that significant white wines can be produced from it.
Nagual is a wise series of wines is obtained by mixing mature wines stacked in small oak barrels (Fr. Barrique 225 L) for at least two years. Everyone knows it because it is one of the first Croatian cult wines. The Nagual White has so far been made only three times, 2007, 2010 and 2013 and Zdjelarević is gradually releasing it to the market. As the public commentary for this top-quality white wine can be inferred, it is essential that this is a blend (chardonnay, sauvignon) and it is not a one-sort wine as many of Croatian great wines, and in the world such bouquets are widely recognized and appreciated.
Z.W.S. Moscato Brutal 2009 was served without seeing the bottles and the audience were asked to try to figure which sort is it. After several attempts, the winner gave an accurate answer and, of course, he was awarded with this wine. This particular wine was obtained somewhat from frustration, and somewhat because Zdjelarević could not decide what to do with a small quantity of this grape. "The wine ended up in wooden barrels and waited for its further destiny. As we once tried it twice a year, we realized that in time it developed into something quite different and very, very good. In the end, we got an extremely powerful white wine and now, after ten years, in full fitness, "Zdjelarević said. "I think the Moscato Brutal had to taste every wine lover, and especially the people from the wine industry, to see what one can get from a Moscato."
The Grof series consists of sparkling wines Grasecco, Classic Blanc de Blancs, Classic Rose, Classic Moscato and Millenium. Grof Millenium is another Zdjelarević experiment. This sparkling wine is 15 years old. It is known that our best-known sparkling wines are aged for 2 to 3 years, and those that mature 4 to 5 are already in the extreme. The final tasting was the premier wine of Nagual Noir, which was harvested in 2016. It was also done only three times so far in the years 2007, 2010 and 2016. It is another great, global and yet very Croatian blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot).
Photos by: G.E.T. Report