Zlatan Otok 2012 Pošip Vrhunsko Vino, Makarska vineyard, Croatia. 14%.* Pošip is an autochthonous Dalmatian white grape; these vineyards are located above the coastal town of Baška Voda. ("Vrhunsko" is the top tier of the three Croatian quality designations.) The wine is a medium-deep straw color in the glass. Not strongly aromatic but intensely flavorful, melding together a layer of citrus, orange-oil, and apricot with another of light waxiness and white pepper, reminiscent of Grüner -- but suffused throughout with a surprising acidity and salinity that lifts what might otherwise be a heavy wine and makes it light on its feet. The combination of richness and liveliness made this a terrific match for a variety of seafood dishes, and even a duck preparation. Totally vindicates the half-hour I spent poking around on the web researching Publican's current wine list yesterday afternoon, and makes me really excited to try the Plavac Mali we have from the same producer in our queue at home.
*The producer's website indicates that the typical ABV for this wine is 13-13.5% so 2012 must have been a hot year on the Adriatic coast. Still, there's no hint of alcoholic heat here.