is this the bibich riserva or a zinfandel?!?
Our very good friend John brought this exciting wine to try for our recent Macedonian celebration. Perhaps with this Croatian wine, we should re-name the party a “Greater Macedonian Celebration?” John shops at K and L Wine Merchants in San Francisco, just like me. They have a marvelous website but unfortunately he couldn’t locate a Macedonian wine for the theme. Instead he got this Croatian Bibich Riserva. Geographically I suppose that Croatia is close.
This wine was a pale somewhat transparent brownish red with a cherry nose. Interestingly the taste was initially bitter but gradually this flowed into a pleasant fruity finish with cherry notes. Party-goers likened it to Chianti from Italy due to the earthy bitter taste. I don’t agree. Chiantis and other Italian reds generally start out fruity and end with an astringent, bitter finish. This was the exact opposite. It was fun to try. The wine itself is made of grape varieties that I’d not heard of before: babich, plavina, and lasin. The wineshop website says that these are related to Zinfandel if that helps put them in perspective at all. I wasn’t thinking zin with this wine though. Maybe more of an Italian pinot nero or something? Kevin in particular adored this wine. He drank it throughout the night in between glasses of champagne and Spritx.
2006 Bibich Riserva
2006 Bibich Riserva Skradin North Dalmatia, Croatia $15.99
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You should have called…we brought some Croatian red wine home from our honey moon and would have loved to have off loaded it. Lets just say…I think Croatia is full of fabulous vegetables, fresh fish and some of the most incredible pizza I have ever had but the wine…not so much:)!
That bad, really? We actually liked this one though maybe it’s different when you’re visiting the country and drinking the wine constantly. Then I can imagine that you could burn out. That happened to us in Argentina a few years ago but we eventually got over it. I’ve heard that Croatia and the Damaltian coast are stunning! Can’t wait to try some of your Croatian wines, too, of course. Let’s see if I get tired of them too…it sounds like a fun test!