Tuesday 11 August 2009

Plantaže 'Pro Corde' Vranac 2007

Lake Skadar, Montenegro, €4.19, cork

I’m sitting drinking this perched on the side of Lake Kotor; Montenegro, a fishing rod trails in front of me and life is good. Vranac is a ancient grape that is found throughout the Balkans and is the main variety used in Montenegro; its name translates as black stallion which refers to its colour and intensity. Plantaže, one of the countries biggest wine producers, is famous for transferring the barren Ćemovsko Field into vineyards and one of Europe’s biggest gardens.

It’s dark so I can’t really see the wine, but I can certainly smell it. It’s got a bold nose with plenty of sweet red fruit and fragrant dried herbs. The palate has a seductive sweetness too it and tastes of red fruits, especially raspberry, fresh herbs again, honey and green olives. It’s a medium bodied wine that’s not overly complex, but has decent palate length and mild tannins. What is so good about Plantaže 'Pro Corde' Vranac 2007 is that it is such a drinkable wine; it's balanced and would be good with or without food. To borrow an Aussie expression, this would be a great “barbecue wine”; good stuff.

Visit winery website.

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