Zapadna kontinentalna Hrvatska

Croatia · DOP · Zapadna kontinentalna Hrvatska

Styles

Natural factors

The soils of Bilogora were formed from Pliocene sands and clays and Pleistocene loess deposits; on Medvednica and Kalnik, Miocene strata predominate (vapnenac, clays, fine-grained sands).
Plešivica: vineyards on Neogene sediments (carbonates, fine-grained sands, clayey-lapor deposits) formed along tectonic lines dating from the early Miocene.
Vineyards are situated at elevations of 100–400 m, predominantly with south-easterly aspects, on hilly and sub-montane footslopes.
Moslavačka gora: an ancient granitic core overlain by younger sediments; the weathering of crystalline rocks has produced pseudogley soils rich in sand and clay.

Human factors

Fossils of vine ancestors found at Radoboj (Hrvatsko zagorje) date from the Cretaceous, more than 70 million years old.
The predominant training system is single and double Guyot; knowledge is passed down primarily through family cellars.

Product characteristics

White wines: crystal clear, pale yellow-green in colour, with moderate to high acidity and discreet to pronounced fruity and floral aromas.
Red wines: clear, ruby-red in colour, with moderate tannins and expressive fruity aromas; predikatno vino examples are dense, viscous, and complexly aromatic with noble-rot character.

Terroir / wine link

Graševina from this terroir yields fresh, easy-drinking, dry wines with lower sugar and higher acidity than in eastern Croatia.
Rolling hillside sites with predominantly south-easterly aspects are particularly well suited to the cultivation of Graševina.
Moderately warm autumns allow for noble-rot infection and predikatna vina richer in acidity than those from eastern Croatia.
Kontinentalna klima preserves primary varietal aromas, while soil heterogeneity imparts the character of each micro-site to the sparkling wines.

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