Toreta Pošip The Jewel of Korčula
Pošip was a new to me grape when I got this bottle. I’d heard of it but hadn’t ever had it. Luckily for me, I managed to source a bottle during one of my last trips back to the states. And no, the irony of buying a bottle of Croatian wine imported to the US then bringing it back to Turkey-geographically so much closer to Croatia than is Las Vegas-is not lost on me!
Native to Croatia, Pošip grows mainly on the island of Korčula in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. A number of grapes grow on Korčula, including Plavac Mali, Plavac Sivi, Maraština, etc., but the island is truly Pošip territory. It was here the grape was first discovered and where the first appellation for it was designated in 1967. The island enjoys a Mediterranean climate with modest elevation and iron-rich, red soils. Vine cultivation has a long history here and vineyards are still widely planted alongside olive groves and pine forests.
Toreta Pošip, 2017
Korčula is also home to the Toreta Winery in the village Smokvica. Here Frano Banicević, the fourth generation of the Banicević family to do so, employs sustainable farming methods on his five hectares of organic grapes growing Pošip, Rukatac, and Plavac Mali.
Pale gold on the pour the Toreta Pošip displayed rich floral and fruit aromas. Exotic freesia, golden pineapple, and red apple emanated from the glass with nuanced expressions of minerality. The exotic journey continued on the palate with lychee joining a burst of juicy pineapple accentuated by fresh floral notes. Vibrant acidity sang from start to finish as the wine slipped like heavy silk across the palate. Medium-bodied with 13.8% abv and a long, unending finish.
Loved, loved, loved.