Piližota Babić 2017

Winery: Piližota

Classification: Dry red wine 

Varietals: 100% Babić 

Appellation: Outskirts of Šibenik, Dalmatia, Croatia 

Density & Yield: 6,000 vines/ha; 1.3 kg/vine 

Annual Production: 40,000 bottles 

Alcohol: 13% 

Climate: Mediterranean, with dry and hot summers, and mild winters 

Terrain: Inland locations near the beautiful and historic town of Šibenik. A terrain made up of various vineyard locations on slopes or semi-slopes, with an altitude of 50 to 300 meters asl. The vineyards see some of the warmer temperatures in Northern and Central Dalmatia, with interestingly cooler nights and constant breezes. Mostly fertile red and brown top soil with finer brown clay stones, and a rugged and tough limestone foundation. 

Farming: Practicing Organic - No irrigation, minimal amount of spraying in Spring limited to small amounts of sulfur. 

Vinification: Hand-harvested, de-stemmed, with spontanteous fermentation in open stainless steel vats, with approximately 10 days of skin maceration. Aged in stainless steel tanks and then afterwards put into large used Slavonian oak barrels of 600 liters for about 6 months in order to soften it up before bottling. Wine is coarsely filtered. 

Tasting Notes: Aromas of ripe dark fruit, particularly blackberries, blueberries, plums, and figs. These aromas are accompanied by the typical earthiness of the Babić grape, which is what gives this wine a certain body weight and complexity. The palate is traditional Babić – smooth, yet firm, with mouthwatering acidity. It is gamey, and its petite tannins allow for a gentle finish. A very friendly and intriguing character invites you to keep on sipping. 

We prefer it slightly chilled at the cellar temperature with red meats, wild game, grilled sausages, a legendary hard-tomake Dalmatian dish called pašticada, cured meats and cheese. For larger parties, Babić is served alongside roasted potatoes and the famous Šibenik region roasted lamb on a spit or under the “peka” (under a dome-shaped pot cover), where the skin is served to crisp perfection and the meat inside is tender and loaded with juices. 

About

Ivica Piližota is a humble owner of a winery and vineyards in the inland locations surrounding the beautiful and historic town of Šibenik, in Central Dalmatia. Soil here is made up of mostly fertile red and brown top soil with finer brown clay stones, and a rugged and tough limestone foundation. The vineyard locations are on slopes or semi-slopes, with an altitude level of 50 to 300 meters above sea level. These vineyards see some of the warmer temperatures in Northern and Central Dalmatia, with interestingly cooler nights and constant salty breezes that whip around this hill and mountain crammed area.