Plešivica

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Vineyards grow on anthropogenic soils underlain by shallow Neogene sediments: carbonates, sands, and clay-marl deposits.
• Tectonic activity at the onset of the Miocene shaped the western palaeo-shore of the Sava Tertiary Basin along northeast–southwest structural lines.
• The climate is moderately continental; the vegetative sum of effective temperatures ranges from 1,250 to 1,450 °C, and annual precipitation averages approximately 1,070 mm.
• The southeastern slopes of Žumberak shield the vineyards from cold northerly winds; parcels enjoy an amphitheatre-like aspect with southern and southwestern exposures.
• The area records approximately 1,900 sunshine hours per year, which, combined with pronounced diurnal temperature variation, favours fresh, high-acid wines.

• Written evidence of viticulture at Plešivica dates to 1370; phylloxera was first recorded in 1882, after which a vine nursery was established at Reka Plešivička in 1920.
• The Guyot training system predominates; cooperative wineries and family cellars pass down knowledge of the traditional character of these wines.

• White wines: crystal clear, yellow-green in colour, with moderate acidity and discrete to pronounced fruity, floral, and spicy aromas; two styles — fresh and easy-drinking, or more mineral and layered.
• Red wines: clear, ruby-red in colour, with moderate alcohol and acidity and pronounced fruity aromas; Portugizac delivers notes of blackberry and blackcurrant.

• The continental climate, with high daytime and lower night-time temperatures, favours fresh, high-acid wines with pronounced fruity aromas.
• The leaner Neogene soils (carbonates, sands, marl deposits) suit Sauvignon and Rhenish Riesling, which retain their primary varietal character.
• Greater diurnal temperature variation favours malolactic fermentation in red wines, contributing to harmony and body.
• 1,900 sunshine hours and an effective temperature sum of 1,250–1,450 °C allow the ripening of second- and third-epoch varieties and fuller-bodied red wines.
• Amphitheatre-positioned sites on the southeastern slopes and soils with good water-holding capacity form the foundation of viticulture here, despite lower soil fertility.
• Predikatno vino from Plešivica is richer in acidity and livelier compared to Predikat wines from eastern Croatia, which is attributed to the continental climate.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-HR-A1654
• Official trade body site — Bregovita Hrvatska