A new Plavac Mali for me and oh boy is this a bruiser! Deep clear crimson in the glass, a hint of garnet at the edge of the clear rim. A more concentrated affectation of fruit and spirit in the nose would be hard to find–but not flabbily concentrated or thickly macerated–no: this is pure fruit. Granted, running a bit towards candied cherry but nowhere approaching maraschino. More a thick elixir of pomegranate and plum, with deep roots in earth and a bracing shock of minerality and fire. Certain aspects of Old-World cellar surface, but even at 6, it shines with near- barrel-sample rigidity and oomph. It smells a bit alcoholic, but even that is tempered in stupidly-bright fruit, and the barrel-programme is hard to guess. On one hand it is quite lavish with vanilla and toast; on the other: the peppery spirit is un-diluted. American, perhaps?
Tasting it both re-enforces previous opinions and causes more questions. Shrill and quite light on the palate, the fruit carried on a Vitamin-C platform of acidity and ridiculous tannins pause only moments before introducing themselves. Again: almost impossible to imagine a wine of this sharpness and structure at age 6, but here we are: this thing drinking like young Italians from Sonoma in the 70’s: a no-holds-barred acidity and approach to structure flying distinctly in the face of modern *roundness* and *fruit-forwardness*. It’s a stunning wine, needing MANY more years to settle down.
If you love Zinfandel–I mean if you REALLY love Zinfandel: the absolute purest form of Zinfandel you’ve ever imagined–find this wine. I haven’t tasted anything like this in DECADES and my advice would be: buy a case and don’t touch 11 of them for another decade. You’ll agree after the first bottle. A shocking wine: pure and un-abashed and un-apologetic in every way. If you love any Zin produced in California in the past 30 years, you will absolutely HATE this wine. I guarantee it.
2016 KOMARNA 7 Plavac Mali Komarna Region Dalmatia Croatia 14.5
https://www.croatianpremiumwine.com/wine/2016-komarna-7-plavac-mali/
