Grgich Hills Plavac Mali
WHY WE LOVE IT
- The Grgich Hills Plavac Mali means “little blue” in Croatian, referring to its small, bluish grapes.
- Grown in the prestigious Pelješac appellation, a mountainous peninsula in the southern Dalmatian coastal winegrowing region, northwest of the historic walled city of Dubrovnik. This appellation contains many small, steep areas of vineyards perched high above the Adriatic Sea on the south-facing slopes of the peninsula.
- The winery itself, is located in the tiny town of Trstenik, in the middle of the peninsula right on the Adriatic Sea, as depicted on the label.
- When Mike Grgich came to the Napa Valley in 1958 to make wine, he noticed a remarkable resemblance between the Zinfandel and Plavac Mali of his native Croatia. Some 35 years later, Mike worked with scientists at University of California, Davis, to prove that Zinfandel was actually Crljenak Kaštelanski, a grape native to Croatia and parent of Plavac Mali.
Varietal Composition: 100% Plavac Mali (pla-vatz molly)
Elaboration: The grapes were fermented in stainless steel. The wine spent 12 months in French oak.
Tasting Notes: This uniquely Croatian wine has aromas of cherry compote and candied blood orange, complimented with hints of ginger and cassis. On the palate the wine exhibits soft tannins and fresh acidity followed by ripe red berry fruit, blood orange and undertones of tamarind.
PRESS
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PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Vintners Hall of Fame inductee Miljenko “Mike” Grgich first earned world-wide recognition when the Chardonnay he crafted won the 1976 Paris Tasting, beating the best of France. This tasting helped shatter the myth that only French soil could produce the world’s greatest wines and drawing international attention to Napa Valley wines. Mike then partnered with Austin Hills to open their family-owned-and-operated winery in 1977.
Since 2003, Grgich Hill’s has produced wines that are 100% estate-grown and bottled. Grgich Hills is committed to natural winegrowing and sustainability, they farm their five estate vineyards without artificial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. They are all certified organic.
Grgich Hills Estate is deeply rooted in family. The winery was founded by two families, Grgich and Hills, joined together in the pursuit of creating the best wines in the world. Today, Mike’s daughter, Violet Grgich, is President and Ivo Jeramaz, Mike’s nephew, is Winemaker/VP of Vineyards & Production. Grgich Hills now welcomes a third generation to the winery – Maja Jeramaz, Mike’s grand-niece, and Justin Hills, Austin’s son.