Zlatan Otok Pošip
Winery: Zlatan Otok
Classification: Dry white wine
Varietals: 100% Pošip
Appellation: Makarska, Dalmatia, Croatia
Density & Yield: 4,500 vines/ha; 0.7 kg/vine
Annual Production: 50,000 bottles
Alcohol: 13.5%
Climate: Mediterranean, with dry and hot summers, and mild winters
Terrain: Two Dalmatian mountains known for their incredible steepness and imposing mass and height are Velebit and Biokovo. Zlatan Plenković decided to plant the side of Biokovo Mountain with vines. The terrain of the vineyards is extremely rugged with very little soil, as one might expect if you have vines planted on the side of the mountain, with all of the vines facing the south on inclines of 10%-20%, at an altitude ranging from sea level to approximately 350 meters. A very rocky soil that is mostly red clay top soil with a rugged limestone base.
Farming: Organic. No irrigation, minimal amount of spraying in Spring and mid-Summer months, with small amounts of powdered sulfites and occasionally copper.
Vinification: Hand-harvest followed by a couple days of skin maceration and controlled cold fermentation between 16° C - 18° C in stainless steel (inox) tanks. Fermentation is done through high-grade (noncommercial) yeasts from Italy. The wine is aged for 8 months in stainless steel (inox) tanks, coarsely fined and filtered before bottling.
Tasting Notes: Pošip is an incredibly old indigenous Croatian varietal that dates back to the 4th century BC (!) that originally comes from the island of Korčula, just south of Hvar Island. This pošip has a straw-golden color, with denseness and minerality that leaves a thick trail in the glass. It is loaded with bright, full, and distinctive flavors, with aromas of dried apricots and figs.
Serve chilled with hearty and delicious meals such as lobster, shrimp, traditional Dalmatian scampi in brudet sauce, mussels prepared in a variety of ways, grilled white fish, as well as Dalmatian pršut (prosciutto), aged cheeses, and grilled juicy pork chops.
Winery Information
Zlatan Otok
In 1991 Zlatan Otok winery became the second private winery in Croatia after the country declared its independence. Established by Zlatan Plenković in a picturesque fishing village called Sveta Nedjelja on the Island of Hvar, today Zlatan Otok one of the largest private wineries in Croatia.
