Matosevic Grimalda Red 2020

Matosevic Grimalda Red 

Region: Istria, Croatia

Vintage: 2020

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: 60% Merlot 30% Teran 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 13%

This wine is a vibrant ruby in colour. A mixture of red and black fruits dominate on the nose along with hints of vanilla and spice. The palate is fresh and juicy, with gentle tannins, an excellent structure and lifted minerality on the close.

The 2019 ‘Grimalda’ Red is the first organic certified vintage of this Teran and Merlot blend from a terraced, sunny, single vineyard in Central Istria, near the village of Grimalda. An alpine variety similar to Refosco, Teran provides forest berry aromas, high levels of acidity and crunchy, slightly wild tannins. The Merlot adds flesh to the mid-palate and lends a suppleness to the texture. The wine is aged in French oak barrels for around 15 months, which contributes spicy complexity.

Described by the late Steven Spurrier as "Croatia’s best winemaker", Ivica Matošević has established himself as a force of nature in the country’s turbulent yet burgeoning wine industry. His incredible family history simply explains the last 100 years: “My grandfather was born in Austria, my father was born in Italy, I was born in Yugoslavia and my daughter was born in Croatia. We were all born in the same house”. Spirited by the emergence of the Istrian wine scene that followed the fall of Yugoslavia in the early ‘90s and driven by an unbridled passion, Ivica Matošević diverted his career from a PhD in agriculture to winemaking. This passion is reflected both in his wines, which are exuberant, fresh and true to their nature, and in what he has achieved for the reputation of Croatian wine.