The name Sávoj is linked to the Austrian commander Eugene of Savoy, to whom Emperor Leopold I, in keeping with the customs of the time, granted a large estate in Baranja as a reward for his victory over the Ottomans in 1697. Eugene developed it into a manorial estate with vineyards and cellars, and in 1712 completed a chateau on the edge of the Kopački Rit floodplain. 
Sávoj is a new line of wines intended for the HoReCa sales channel, which the Belje winery presented on the rooftop terrace of the Osijek Cultural Centre. Belje took care that the wines be eminently drinkable and elegant, yet still recognisably marked by their terroir. Five different styles and compositions are aimed mainly at a younger audience. A synergy of tradition and trend, fine raw material and excellent cellar work have yielded wines that drink quickly and are long remembered. 
Sávoj Graševina 2024 is a typical representative of Baranja terroir (Graševina, known abroad as Welschriesling, is Croatia’s most widely planted white). Beyond its full body, it is graced by elegance. It shows a lively yellow-green colour, fine varietal aromas and a full palate. Aromas of white fruit interweave with meadow flowers. The palate is rich, with plenty of that Baranja succulence, readily tamed by pronounced citrus-mineral freshness. In a long finish, a fine varietal bitterness emerges discreetly, broadening the wine’s complexity.
Sávoj Blanc 2024 is an off-dry wine in which Graševina is joined by Traminac (Gewürztraminer) and Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. The residual sugar is well matched to the acidity, leaving it in good balance. It is full on the palate yet very elegant, like the other wines of the Sávoj line. The nose is dominated by the floral aromas of Traminac, while on the palate the other varieties are far more present.
Sávoj Orange 2023 is a skin-contact wine made without compromise in complete harmony among four varieties: Graševina, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. It shows a pronounced golden-yellow colour that barely betrays its time on the skins. It is clean and precise, rich in every detail, yet measured in all things. It was raised in a large oak cask that helped it develop and round out more quickly. The tannins are polished, so the wine is firm without being coarse. It is long and memorable, an excellent example of a wine made through quality, restrained maceration, of which there are sadly very few on our market.
Sávoj Rosé 2024 is an off-dry wine of Frankovka (Blaufränkisch), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and a little Pinot Gris. It is of moderate density and a lovely, translucent salmon-flesh colour. The nose is very fine, moderately intense and fruit-driven. The red-berry aromas are natural, as if freshly picked strawberries and raspberries were in the glass, and the palate follows the nose. Despite the residual sugar, there is no banal, cloying sweetness, for its balance is held by pronounced acidity. Added complexity comes from just a small measure of bitterness on the aftertaste.
Sávoj Rouge 2023 is a red wine with 12 grams of residual sugar, which will put serious wine lovers on their guard. However, high freshness and a firm tannic structure have largely masked the sugar, making it seem savoury rather than sweet. It is made of Pinot Noir, Frankovka, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It shows a ruby colour with still-noticeable purple rims that point to a wine just two years old. The aromatic profile is dominated by fruit notes, chiefly sour cherry and cherry, which are found on the palate as well. The tannins are plentiful but already ripe enough. An authentic yet stylistically very unusual wine, it seeks its audience among the younger generations.
23 September 2025
