WTN: Vranac

Last night at a dinner for a local artist, we were served glasses of a Monastery Tvrdoš "Metoh," Bosnia-Herzegovina Red Wine, a blend of Vranac, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. (I managed to forget the vintage but I'm guessing either 2015 or 2014.) Never had a wine made with Vranac before, and this was really delicious. It had a flinty, smoky, and tart-savory character reminiscent in some ways of Cabernet Franc, and yet I wouldn't have mistaken it for that -- it was very much its own thing. A terrific pairing with a creative dish of rabbit sausage and sous-vide rabbit loin with an onion relish spiked with mustard seed and a sweet-tart onion chutney. I think this monastery also makes a varietal Vranac, which I'd love to try.

Last night at a dinner for a local artist, we were served glasses of a Monastery Tvrdoš "Metoh," Bosnia-Herzegovina Red Wine, a blend of Vranac, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. (I managed to forget the vintage but I'm guessing either 2015 or 2014.) Never had a wine made with Vranac before, and this was really delicious. It had a flinty, smoky, and tart-savory character reminiscent in some ways of Cabernet Franc, and yet I wouldn't have mistaken it for that -- it was very much its own thing. A terrific pairing with a creative dish of rabbit sausage and sous-vide rabbit loin with an onion relish spiked with mustard seed and a sweet-tart onion chutney. I think this monastery also makes a varietal Vranac, which I'd love to try.

I've only Vranac before from Tikves in Macedonia. It reminded me a bit of Lagrein or Blaufrankisch. But it was made
by Phillipe Cambie in his typical Jabba the Hutt style, so that's not a good indication.
Tom

The Lagrein comparison makes sense to me, Tom. And this was definitely not Huttish, so if you come across this one, I think it'd be worth your while!

Tom will tell us that Vranac can be found in Calif!!

[Jenise]

The one Tom Hill refers to we had just a few weeks ago--plenty of wood of course, and spicy more like zinfandel than cab franc.

Tom will tell us that Vranac can be found in Calif!!

Yup....I've been preaching the gospel for yrs, Bob, that Vranac should be being planted all
up&down the Coast in Calif. Alas, like most prophets in their time, I'm totally dismissed as a crank
and a charlatan. But you wait & see.
Tom