Home / Country / Serbia / Vranac Potrkanjski 2007 by Jović Winery, Knjaževac, Serbia

 

“Jović’s Vranac appeared to me like my grandma’s garden in summer: floral fragrances, all mixed in a nectar inebriating bees. No, they were not Mediterranean plants, rather Central European ones: foxgloves, pot marigold, violet and red vetches, sunflowers, nasturcium, matthiola, peppermint and many more.”

By Mariusz Rybak

The bottle I had contained wine with slightly too much acidity, but with the distinguishable, beautiful aroma of Vranac grapes. With its deep, almost violet, colour and some rose notes it reminds me of Cagnina di Romagna, though this is the only resemblance this East Serbian red has with the vino romagnolo (from the region of Romagna in Central Italy), which is excellent for caldarosste (Italian for roasted chestnuts).

Jović’s Vranac appeared to me like my grandma’s garden in summer: floral fragrances, all mixed in a nectar inebriating bees. No, they were not Mediterranean plants, rather Central European ones: foxgloves, pot marigold, violet and red vetches, sunflowers, nasturcium, matthiola, peppermint and many more. In the same garden, you find raspberry bushes heavy from sweet fruit, red and white currant, and sour cherries (so much at home in Eastern Serbia). The producer himself adds to this list also wild sweet cherries (divlja trešnja or vrapčara in Serbian) and plums. The notes of wood are decent and only complementary to the dry fruitiness. Some spices are to found too: Is it clove, vanilla, some scent of paprika?

The wine should be drunk at room temperature, but remember that in the times when this rule was forged there was no no central heating. So, some temperature slightly under 20°C will be perfect.

Jović winery is a family business and, unlike Rubin, it produces artisanal wines. They got several prizes and I’m going to try further creations of this family soon. The Vranac is from the village called Potrkanje, next to Knjaževac, and that’s why there is an adjective ‘potrkanjski’ in its name. Potrkanje is situated 250-300 meters above sea level, and is a particularly sunny part of Serbia, close to the Bulgarian border.

Mariusz Rybak is currently researching Serbian wine culture and the notion of wine as a cultural good. His musings on such topics can be read on his blog, Kawa and Vino.

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