2010 Dingac Vinarija "Peljesac" Peljesac Peninsula Croatia

Dingac is the name of the best known Croatian premium quality red wine of controlled origin. Only wine made from grapes that were grown on the famous vineyard named "Dingac" may be called Dingac. Naturally, this means that quantities of Dingac wines are always extremely limited and make the wine highly sought after. The distinguished vineyard Dingac lies on a steep hillside on the Peljesac peninsula dramatically dropping into the Adriatic Sea just a few miles from the famous medieval city of Dubrovnik in the southern tip of Croatia. The terroir of this particular location is characterized by an abundance of sunshine and the minerals imparted by the rocky soil. Motorized vehicles cannot access the slopes of the Dingac vineyard. As it has been the case traditionally for ages the only help for the laborious harvest are donkeys. "The village of Dingac, on the Adriatic Sea, makes Croatia's most famous red wine - strong, heady stuff grown on precipitous seaside slopes from a grape known as Plavac Mali, a close relative of Zinfandel. Here, it's the same grapes, different wine. Consider this an anti-blockbuster: Not even 12 percent alcohol, it has the juicy, smoky red berries of a Zin but the body of a Beaujolais. It's beautifully uncomplicated." (Jon Bonné, San Francisco Chronicle about a previous vintage.)