Suha Punta Gracin Babic 2015

Can drink now through 2030. Ideally, decant for one hour.

Suha Punta is a very new winery but is already producing premium wines that, in the right hands, have been compared to syrah from the Rhone and merlot from St Emilion. It has been declared as the best Babic as well as being considered one of the best Croatian reds.

Babić is the single grape variety in the wine region of Primošten in northern Dalmatia. Babić needs poor soil, sun exposure and produces low yields of high quality fruit. Despite the summer heat and the hot rocks beneath it, Babic manages to successfully keep the ideal ratio of acids, which ultimately gives to wine more harmonious tone and somewhat more animated character. It’s a premium wine whose strength is found in the perfect balance of acid, alcohol and fruit.

Hand harvesting ensures only the best grapes that are ripened to perfection are picked. The low yields also add to the cost of production but the resulting wines are well worth the additional cost. Matured in new oak barriques, the wine is well balanced in terms of acidity and alcohol, with dry tannins adding to the balance.

On the nose, ripe berries, particularly cherries, and a hint of spice are prevalent.

The palate gives a modern, complex wine that confirms the nose, with ripe berry fruit and spice. The combination of ripe tannins, high acidity and high alcohol blend perfectly to provide an excellent structure to the wine. The malolactic fermentation and maturation in new oak adds a lovely creaminess to the wine. The finish is long as expected of this all round great wine.

This wine will drink very well now or will age for some time to come.

Food matches include steak, beef, duck and game. Would also go well with cheese.