Coletti’s Neuburger 2018 is the finest amber wine of this year’s selection of Croatia’s 100 Best Wines. Franjo Kolarić from Hrastje Plešivičko near Jastrebarsko has crafted a truly beautiful wine, given long amphora maceration, from an Austrian variety that is a — probably spontaneous — cross of Pinot Blanc and Zeleni Silvanac (Grüner Silvaner), most widely grown in Lower Austria and Burgenland. Anyone who has not yet tasted it certainly should — while it lasts. Kolarić’s Coletti Chardonnay Oro Bianco blends the 2022 and 2023 vintages, and shared third place among the whites in the Top 100. The sparkling Coletti Grigio Blanc Nature 2018 also made the Top 100, as did another eight Plešivica šampeci (bubblies).
The first sparkling wine at the judging was Pavel 2019 from the Šember winery in Pavlovčani near Jastrebarsko, while third place among the 16 sparkling wines in the Top 100 was shared by Blanc de Blancs 2016 from the Korak winery in the village of Plešivica. From that same village the list also features Griffin from the Ivančić winery, Cuvée Prestige 2017 from Kurtalj and Three Stars Rosé from Jagunić. The other bubbles from this small but great wine district are Šember Blanc de Noirs 2018 and the Blanc de Noirs and Rosé from the Tomac winery in Donja Reka. As for the very best whites, Plešivica also gives us the highly impressive Sauvignon Blanc Classy 2022 from Erdoro (formerly Mladina) and the Griffin Chardonnay Sur Lie 2021. Jagunić’s Traminac Crveni Amber 2022 is among the finest amber wines, and Korak’s Pinot Crni (Pinot Noir) 2022 among the reds.
From the western part of Zagorje, closer to the Slovenian border, come two excellent sweet wines. Stjepan Đurinski’s Traminac Ice Wine (Ledena berba) 2015 from Hruševec Kupljenski is the second best among eight dessert wines, and the list also includes the outstanding Riesling Ice Wine 2015 from the Bodren winery in Rusnica near Hum na Sutli. Further north-west, also in Zagorje, sits the Petrač winery, whose great red Enigma 2019 is a specially nurtured blend of 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 25 percent each of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The opposite side of Zagorje holds strong cards too. The Bolfan Vinski Vrh winery near Hrašćina rightly takes pride in its Riesling 2022 Primus, and Robert Kopjar from around Novi Marof in his sparkling Blanc de Blancs Brut. Međimurje is likewise represented among Croatia’s 100 Best Wines by a sparkling wine — Urban White from the Štampar winery in Sveti Urban, the only Croatian sparkler with two Decanter golds, won in 2020 for a non-vintage šampek and in 2023 for the 2020 vintage.
Among the best are also two wines from the Puhelek Purek winery in Gornje Psarjevo near Sveti Ivan Zelina: Sauvignon 2023, the long-standing ace of Stjepan and his daughters Nataša and Ivana, and the relative family newcomer, Rosé 2023 from Pinot Noir. At the far eastern edge of this region, in Moslavina, Antun Glavica makes wine on biodynamic principles. His Frankovka 2021 is among the 100 best in Croatia.
Wherever you find yourself in north-western Hilly Croatia, you are close to a winery holding some of our very best wines. And to discover which ones from Istria and Kvarner you should taste on your summer holiday, read here.
11.08.2025.
Written by: Vinskiklub.hr
