STINA | Plavac Mali | Barrique | 2018
plavac mali
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Today we are going to review a single-varietal plavac mali wine from the Dalmatia region of Croatia – Plavac Mali Barrique 2018 by Stina. Plavac Mali is the most popular croatian variety, whose parent grape is crljenak kastelanski (primitivo/tribidrag/zinfandel). This variety grows mostly along the dalmatian coast and it makes wines that are rich in flavor, high in both alcohol and tannin, with moderate acidity. Plavac Mali translates as “small blue” and it is so important in Croatia that it was the first to have its own appellations: Dingač and Postup, which are both located on the Pelješac peninsula in the south of Dalmatia. This particular wine is made of plavac mali grapes that were sourced from stina (white stone) rich soils of the Island of Brač. It has been aged for 8 to 10 months in used french oak barrels and at least 6 more months in the bottle before it’s release on the market. That said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:
//Visual
colour: medium ruby color
clarity: hazy garnet shades
//Olfactory
intensity: rich & oaky
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits
__red fruits: red plum | red cherry
__black fruits: black plum | black cherry | blackberry | dried black plum | dried black cherry
fruit character: overripe & dried
//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earth
__spice: red pepper | peppercorn | cloves | anise
__oak: roasted oakwood | oaktree bark | black tea | tobacco
__earthy: graphite | black soil dust
primary layer: fruit & oak
//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: medium+
tannin: high
__grip: seedy
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
body: supple | medium+
//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits & black fruits
fruit character: overripe & dried
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: medium
aftertaste: seedy-crisp
//Scoring
STINA | Plavac Mali | Barrique | 2018
variety: plavac mali
country: Croatia
region: Dalmatia | Island of Brač
rating: 92.6
//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for 2 or 3 more years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Croatia and, with a total of 92.6 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.
Verdict: this is a quite crisp, supple and lean wine, with a nuanced fruity-oaky accent on the palate. It is still developing, therefore we would recommend to give it another 2 or 3 years of bottle ageing, in order to allow it to get closer to its potential. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of overripe and dried red and black fruits in the foreground, followed by a nuanced spicy and oaky background and a subtle earthy layer in between. On the palate the wine delivers crisp acidity, fine-grained tannins and just a touch of well integrated alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which nicely evolves into a seedy-crisp finale. All in all, this is a quite voluptuous, round and delicate wine that delivers rustic hints of local terroir and some nuanced oaky hints on the palate. In order to enhance the wine’s characteristics, we would recommend to pair it with delicate and naturally scented meats, like for example an extra-rare peppercorn fillet mignon. Cheers!
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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.
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By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
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WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a monthly donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a yearly donation so that we can review even more wines.
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