Country - Croatia

Region - Dalmatia

Grape Varieties - Pošip 70%, Vugava 20%, Chardonnay 10%

Alcohol by volume - 12.5%

Bottle - 75cl

Producer - Jako Vino

The beautiful Croatian island of Brač is famous for its white stone, which is known locally as Stina and was the inspiration behind the name of this stunning collection of Jako Vino wines. The Stina project was founded in 2009 when Jako Andabak invested in a cellar along the waterfront in Bol. After much renovation, he designed a contemporary cellar perfect for production and tastings. Simultaneous investment was made in the vineyards, which are planted with local varieties such as Pošip and Vugava. Although grape vines have been cultivated on the island for centuries - the vineyard at Stipančić dates back to the 15th century, most needed either replanting or restoring to return them to their former glory. Winemaker Rikard Petric showcases these glorious indigenous varieties in a collection of fruit focused wines, full of Croatian charm.

2016 was considered to be a good vintage. Just the right amount of rain throughout spring and a very short dry summer, resulted in ideal growing and ripening conditions. Summer was cooler than usual, preserving aromas and acidity levels and warm weather during the harvest enabled the grapes to reach excellent maturity levels

The vineyard is cooled by sea breezes and the warm sunny days are often windy, with cooler nights. The diurnal temperature differences promote a long ripening period, encouraging concentrated flavours and varietal characteristic in the grapes, while preserving balancing acidity. The vines are dry-farmed in old vineyards with a rocky, limestone soil. The vines are meticulously managed; pruning is four to six spurs per vine, with an average of six to eight buds in order to keep the yields low. The grapes are manually harvested.

The grapes were cooled prior to vinification and protected from oxygenation throughout. The grapes were gently pressed, followed by fermentation with selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures ranging from 13 to 18°C. The wine was aged in stainless steel tanks for six months, to retain the purity of fruit flavours.

A youthful yet complex nose delights with layers of floral hints with tropical notes of apricot and mango. The full bodied palate is dry, refreshingly balanced and full of juicy yellow fruits with citrus hints on the lingering finish. Great with fish, marinated poultry or veal.