Noble, delicate and fresh, with a fairly long and very refined palate, that is the Pozoj sparkling wine from the Dvanajščak-Kozol winery in Lopatinec, in the Međimurje municipality of Sveti Juraj na Bregu. It is made by the classic method, with a second fermentation in the bottle and no dosage, the expedition liqueur often used to adjust the aroma and flavour of sparkling wines. It is therefore bone dry, and a superb showcase of just how great a variety Moslavac is, also known as Šipon, Furmint or Mosler, and affectionately called Pušipel by the people of Međimurje. This is further confirmed by the fact that the 2022 harvest fell at the turn of September into October, whereas grapes for sparkling wine are usually picked early to preserve freshness. Yet Moslavac, thanks in part to the soils of this family’s vineyards, has no trouble with that at all.
The young Pušipel Classic Sv. Juraj is lovely too. The grapes come from several sites in the village whose name the wine bears, and the fermentation was spontaneous, set in motion by the yeasts that arrived from the vineyard. It ran a little longer because the must was cold after pressing, and such wines need a bit more time to reach full form. The advice is to buy it and cellar it for a few months, then enjoy it through the summer and on warmer autumn days. As for the wine’s name, it is worth noting that Dvanajščak-Kozol was the first winery in Croatia to introduce the Burgundian pyramid, so their wines carry special designations, for grapes from the whole region, from a single village (as stated on this one), or only from vineyards on specific sites such as Mohokos or Okrugli Vrh. 
Son and father Viktor and Zdravko Dvanajščak opened a wonderful presentation of their current wines at the Brolo wine bar in Zagreb, first with the sparkling Pušipel and then the still one. Next came a very good Sauvignon Blanc Sv. Juraj 2024. Its nose is restrained yet varietally recognisable, and its palate seems sweeter, not because of residual sugar, of which there is only a gram and a half per litre, but thanks to extract. This is the dry matter, the invisible non-volatile components of a wine that contribute to the quality of its flavour. Wines rich in extract are full and harmonious, and because of it the relatively high 13.5 percent alcohol in this Sauvignon does not stand out at all. Indeed, it was one of the stars of the tasting. 
The second was the Amaranth Crni Pinot 2021. After three weeks of maceration and spontaneous fermentation, part of it aged for three years in 300-litre acacia barrels and part in 225-litre oak. It was named after the genus of plants that served Native Americans as a grain, known here as šćir or rumenika, whose flower has a colour reminiscent of Crni Pinot (Pinot Noir) wines. Amaranth is fresh, gently spicy and a touch firmer in body, so beyond the classic dishes for the variety, such as roast duck or goose, it will also pair nicely with lighter, not fully red, grilled meats. Zdravko and Viktor Dvanajščak also presented a pleasant Rosé at 11.5 percent alcohol, made from Crni Pinot grapes pressed immediately after harvest and briefly aged on fine lees, as well as a moderately sweet and tasty off-dry Muškat Light.
27.05.2025.
