Primorska Hrvatska

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The red soils (crvenice) of the Istrian coastline developed on the 'Istrian platform' from the insoluble residues of limestone bedrock; they are poor in humus, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and reach a depth of approximately 30 to 70 cm.
• In the flysch belt of 'grey Istria', vineyards lie on marls, sandstones, and softer limestones that are highly susceptible to erosion, and the soils are generally young, shallow, and dry.
• The climate of Primorska Hrvatska is predominantly Mediterranean, and in places sub-Mediterranean, with an accumulated effective temperature sum during the growing season of 1,650 to over 2,000 °C and annual rainfall of approximately 819 to 1,200 mm.
• Throughout Dalmatia, the geological bedrock consists mainly of limestones and dolomites, and the soils are markedly heterogeneous in texture, depth, and chemical composition, with low humus content and frequent exposure to erosion.

• Greek settlers established colonies in Dalmatia and Istria as early as the sixth century BC, and wine vessels as well as coins bearing the imprint of a grape cluster and a wine jug dating from that period have been found on Vis and Hvar.
• The appearance of phylloxera at the beginning of the twentieth century triggered mass emigration, particularly from Dalmatia, as a result of which vineyard area had fallen to one quarter of that recorded during the so-called 'great boom' period by the end of the twentieth century.

• White wines from the northern and central parts of the region are light to medium- or full-bodied, with balanced acidity, fresh, extract-rich, and displaying pleasant to pronounced aromas of fruit, flowers, and spice, while those from the southern part tend to be higher in alcohol, fuller in extract, lower in acidity, and aromatically rich.
• Red wines from the northern part are characterised by a colour ranging from purple with blue hues to deep red, balanced tannin ripeness, and pronounced varietal aromas, while southern red wines display various shades of garnet-red and are high in alcohol, full in extract, and aromatically complex.

• Low humus content, shallow soils prone to erosion, and moisture deficit during the growing season compel growers to make considered choices of rootstock, variety, and training system in order to achieve grape quality.

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-A1658
• Official trade body site — Vinistra + Vino Dalmacije (joint coverage)