Dražen Zanchi is one of those discoveries that reminds us how special the wines of Croatia are and the passion of the people who put all of their heart into their work.

A doctor of physics at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, Dražen inherited a beautiful parcel of land in the town of Kaštel Lukšić, north of Split. This is where he planted Dobričić in 2012, the region’s autochthonous red grape and a rugged and almost extinct variety.

From his time living in Paris, he had heavily been exposed to the world of natural wines there and had fallen in love. He wanted to make a wine similar in style, yet authentically Dalmatian.

In his cellar, Dražen produces a single wine from Dobričić, one of the parents of the Plavac Mali grape, which he farms with according to some principles of biodynamics and organic farming. This manner in farming his vineyards give him very low yields, but outstanding pure fruit. His wines are only allowed to ferment naturally in the cellar with indigenous yeasts, spontaneous fermentation, and no addition of sulfites. The wine is then aged in neutral oak barrels for approximately 2 years until they are ready. His wines are truly special and masterful!

Vinification: Manual harvest with his friends, naturally fermented with native yeasts. Aged for 2 years in neutral French oak.

Tasting Notes: Bursting with rich but bright notes of red and black fruits. The palate is so juicy, yet effortlessly lifted with soft tannins and the perfect touch of Dalmatian earthiness, maintaining natural elegance and fresh acidity. The wine somehow captures a beautiful balance of both the power of Adriatic reds and the freshness of a cool climate red – it is such a special wine!

-Vinum