Zlatan Otok Plavac
Winery: Zlatan Otok
Classification: Dry red wine
Varietals: 100% Plavac Mali
Appellation: Outskirts of Šibenik (Vrpolje settlement), Dalmatia, Croatia
Density & Yield: 4,200 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: Located by the small settlement of Vrpolje, these rocky and rugged vineyards enjoy a beautiful sea view and sun exposure. With an altitude level ranging from approximately 50 to 300 meters above sea level, the vineyards see some of the warmer temperatures in Northern and Central Dalmatia, with interestingly cooler nights that are accompanied by constant breezes. Soil consists of small amounts of red and brown clay on top of a tough limestone foundation.
Farming: Organic. No irrigation, minimal amount of spraying in Spring and mid-Summer months, with small amounts of powdered sulfites.
Vinification: Hand-harvest followed by 8 days of skin maceration in stainless steel tanks, later controlled fermentation in wooden vinificators for an additional 8-10 days at a temperature of 22° C - 25° C. Fermentation is strictly done through native/natural yeasts. The wine is aged for 18 months in stainless steel tanks (inox). After aging in the tanks the wine is coarsely fined, not filtered.
Tasting Notes: A softer, friendlier Plavac that is showing all the typical varietal aromas - darker cherry and blueberry fruits, herbs, laced with the structure of the easily recognizable fine tannins, salinity and earthiness that are ever-so-present in Plavac Mali wines.
Serve slightly chilled at cellar temperature (approx. 18° C) with spicy appetizers, bruschetta, tomato sauces, stews, red meat roasts, wild fowl, venison, roasted lamb and potatoes with rosemary and Dalmatian herbs , cured meats, hard and aged cheeses, grilled steak meats, burgers, and grilled blue fish.
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.
