Ante Sladić, Tribidrag, Skradin, Dalmatia, Croatia, 2016

This wine is also called Crljenak, further south along the Dalmatian coast. It is the same variety as Zinfandel in America. It's a wine of serious commitment from winemaker Ante Sladić, coming from the hill's south side in his estate vineyard. It sees 18 months in oak and another five years in the bottle. The winemaking includes 80% ripe fruit, 15% raisins and 5% underripe grapes. The aromas are rich and generous, with smoky cloves and spicy red plums mingling with tart blackberries. On the palate, there is density and oomph in the tannin profile. Flavours of spiced black plums, white pepper and a lifted, fresh finish with tart raspberry and mint.