Dalia 'Splet' Gamay Noir 2022
The vibe: SPLET. Fun to say, even more fun to drink! Translating from Serbian, splet describes a tangle or snarl. While we haven’t spoken to winemaker Kristina Lukić about the meaning behind this name, it is a great word to describe this wine and indeed her overall influence in winemaking, coming from a global winemaking background, then returning to Serbia to make wines informed by her experiences, blending international and local varietals to create something entirely new. The blend in the bottle before you is a tangle of the familiar and the exotic. Gamay Noir makes up the majority of the pressed juice here, an homage to Kristina’s time making wine in Beaujolais (and psst, the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner pairing). Blended in is the Serbian varietal, Vranac (with a soft “c” like “nats”). With Vranac lending its strength and structure, this combo makes for an epic balance of thirst-quenching crunchy red fruit, with a bit of soft tannic texture and bolder riper flavors tilting the scale toward medium-full body. This wine is so crazy good and we bet it’ll pair up excellently with any potluck spread, friendsgiving, or uncle’s empty glass. It’s a crowd pleaser, just drink it!
The winemaker: The young winemaker Kristina Lukić at Vinarija Dalia, started learning how to make wine in Italy. After completing her studies in viticulture and oenology at the University of Udine, during which she completed her first two harvests in Sardinia and in Beaujolais, she started her journey around the world to enrich her cultural and professional knowledge. Kristina’s dream was to always go back to her homeland, and apply and share her experiences and knowledge with the local people, and in 2021 she opened Dalia in the village of Smedovac. On an influential level, Kristina’s presence and influence is having a wider impact on the local community. The emergence of Dalia has empowered female producers in the region to take the reins and follow in the footsteps of the region and now the presence of women in these villages is very strong, from business management to work in the vineyard.
The geeky details: 80% Gamay, 20% Vranac. Hand harvested in early October, fermented with indigenous yeasts in open vessels; macerated for 2 weeks. Aged for 10 months in used Serbian and French oak barrels of 225l. Unfined, unfiltered and minimal sulfur addition used at bottling.
Serve: Cellar temp.
Food pairing: As suggested, this wine will cozy up to basically any Thanksgiving spread you throw at it. Gamay is the de facto grape of the month for good reason!
Album pairing: Kassa Overall - CREAM