Primorska Hrvatska

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The pedosphere of Istria consists of a low limestone plateau covered in many places by terra rossa (crvenica), the so-called 'Red Istria', from which the flysch hills of 'Grey Istria' rise, along with the mountainous Ćićarija range, the so-called 'White Istria'.
• Terra rossa soils are poor in humus in the topsoil horizon, beneath which lies a more clayey red layer formed from the insoluble residues of limestone rock, approximately 30 to 70 cm deep, and they are poor in nitrogen and phosphorus.
• In 'Grey Istria', vineyards are situated on flysch hills composed of marl, sandstone, and softer limestones, with predominantly younger, shallow, and dry soils that are highly susceptible to erosion.
• In the Dalmatia region, various soil types predominate, including terra rossa, brown soils over limestone, skeletal and semi-skeletal brown soils, brown soils over flysch, carbonate grey and eluviated soils, and alluvial mineral carbonate and mineral-organic soils (humus-rich black soils), with the lithological composition consisting mainly of limestone and, to a lesser extent, dolomite.
• The climate of this area is predominantly Mediterranean, with hot summers and mild, wet winters; the other climate type found in Primorska Hrvatska is sub-Mediterranean or transitional Mediterranean, blending into a continental climate.

• Ancient Greek settlers established colonies in Dalmatia and Istria as early as the sixth century BC, including Korkyra (Korčula), Issa (Vis), Pharos (Hvar), and Polis (Pula), and on Vis and Hvar wine vessels and coins bearing motifs of grape clusters and wine jugs from that period have been found.
• Moving southward through Primorska Hrvatska, training systems such as the bush-trained gobelet, fan, Guyot, double-arm, and cordon forms predominate, while on the islands the vine is traditionally grown among stones, creating the distinctive landscape known as stone lacework.

• White wines from the northern and central parts of Primorska Hrvatska are light to medium or full in alcohol, with balanced acidity, fresh and full in extract, with pleasant to pronounced fruity, floral, and spice aromas.
• Red wines from the northern part of Primorska Hrvatska are clear and range in colour from violet with blue tints to deep red, while those from the central part show ruby red of varying intensity, and those from the southern part display various shades of garnet red.

• Long, warm summers with a high number of sunshine hours and dry, warm autumns allow for late harvests of grapes with high sugar content, well suited to the production of liqueur wines.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Croatia

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-HR-A1658
• Official trade body site — Vinistra + Vino Dalmacije (joint coverage)