Piquentum Malvasia Croatia 2021

Description

Originally built in 1928, converted into a bomb shelter in the early 90s, and now a winery, this is a tale of a son of a Frenchwoman and an Istrian father, growing native Croatian grapes in an old Mussolini-era concrete water tank. Born in French Basque Country (Jurançon) in the foothills of the Pyrenees, Dimitri Brečević studied oenology in France and then worked at Domaine de Chevalier in addition to working harvests in Australia, New Zealand, Bordeaux, and Burgundy. In 2004 he decided to invest himself in his father’s homeland of Istria near the town of Buzet. The name 'Piquentum' is the ancient Roman word for the beautiful hilltop town of Buzet. 

This wine is 100% Istrian Malvazija (Malvasia) and pours a lovely straw-yellow colour with golden edges, due to spending 3-4 days on skins. This is a harmonious wine with a soft and smooth texture, quince aromas and floral notes. There is a slight hint of sweet spices and aromatic Mediterranean herbs such as sage and it is delightfully textural.