WTN: 2004 Plantaze Vranac "Pro Corde" (Montenegro & Serbia)

<table align="right" valign="top"><tr><td><img src="http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/userpix/70_Pro_Corde_1.jpg" border="0" align="left"></td></tr></table>Today is a happy day for me: I am the contented owner of two bottles of a type of wine that for years I have hoped to see coming out of Eastern Europe and onto our shelves here in Ontario. The 2004 Plantaze Vranac Pro Corde is an exceptionally high-quality dry Montenegrin red table wine. It is made from the indigenous Balkan grape variety, Vranac (see this reference for additional information).

$16.95 at Vintages; released August 18, 2007. 12.5% alc. Beautiful, saturated dark-garnet colour with a magenta/scarlet hue at the meniscus; translucent, not inky, yet possessing the hue of freshly pressed beet juice. Very appealing nose with spicy herb-tinged black cherry fruit and Mediterranean garrigue; very appetite-building. Black-cherry fruit again on the entry, with fine acidity and an exceptionally fine, balanced structure comprising acidity and velvety tannins in perfect harmony. Dry, flavourful and cleansing with moderate alcohol and very fine palate-feel. The finish exhibits a replay of the flavours seen earlier on.

This isn't just a fine Eastern European red; this is one of the best reds I have had in all the time I've been into wine, period. It is very much along the same vein as a fine Chianti, both in texture and flavour. This is not in any way an internationalized wine, either - double thumbs-up from me.

I have always had faith in the ability of Eastern Europe to produce table wines such as this one from their own indigenous vinifera varieties. I am happy to buy wines like the Pro Corde and to pay $17 rather than to buy some cheap $7 Eastern European junk wine: why support the latter, when the former is so much better and helps to fuel a much-needed recognition of the potential quality of Eastern Europe's wine-producing regions?

I am very much sold on the Pro Corde and intend to write a letter to the Vintages buying team praising them for seeking out and publicizing this lovely Montenegrin product.

On day two, further integration occurred and the wine showed lovely licorice and medicinal-cherry notes; the nose was at once more integrated and slightly more complex compared to shortly after the wine was opened.

Thanks for the note, Paul. I had the 2003 vintage of this wine about a year and a half ago and enjoyed it, though perhaps not as much as you liked this one.

cheers,
al

This is by far the most exceptional red I have ever tried from Eastern Europe to date, which is why I am so excited by it. I think that this should be the route for wine-producing Balkan countries to take, namely: to make wines that are qualitatively competitive and comparable to the well-established Western European wines and preferably, to make them in non-internationalized styles. I give this one a two-thumbs-up for sure.