Pomalo Debit Pet Nat 2021
Winery: Pomalo Wine Co.
Classification: Dry sparkling pet nat wine
Varietals: 100% Debit
Appellation: Dalmatia, Croatia
Annual Production: 3,600 bottles
Alcohol: 11%
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 topsoil with finer brown clay stones, and a rugged and tough limestone foundation.
Farming: Practicing organic, no irrigation
Vinification: This is a new wine, made for the first time in 2020. Embracing the minimal intervention approach in the cellar, hand-harvested grapes were destemmed, macerated on the skins for 5 days, then pressed into a stainless steel tank to undergo spontaneous fermentation. Before fermentation was finished, the wine was bottled and left for 5 months on the lees. Roughly disgorged; no sulfur added.
Tasting Notes: The Debit grape had been stigmatized by locals in the early 20th century but has tremendous potential as a Dalmatian white grape, given it is cultivated halfway between the coastlines and the mountains. This microclimate offers plenty of sunlight for natural ripeness, while also getting cool winds at night to provide acidity.
The whole point of Pomalo is to take it easy and not take things too seriously. So nothing too technical here! This wine is a refreshing, fun, and zesty Pet Nat that captures everything about the pomalo lifestyle on the Dalmatian coast. Pair with fjaka (aka doing nothing).
About
The description of the word “pomalo” cannot be found in any Croatian dictionary. Literally, “pomalo” means to take it easy, to relax, no stress, but also slow down, no worries…
The true meaning of ”pomalo” is rooted in the coastal and island lifestyle and the general state of mind of the Dalmatians. Us Americans can use more Pomalo, all the time.
There are so many exciting varietals and terroirs within Croatia, so to capture the pomalo lifestyle in liquid form, we teamed up with the allusive Begović cousins to produce some of the best natural Hrvatska expressions to bring to the US.
The Begović cousins are two phenomenal winemakers from starkly different backgrounds - one based in the northeastern mountains of Slovenia, one based on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia — whom discovered their long-lost relation to each other over their mutual family lineage in the village of Kozice, Croatia.
Together, they teamed up with Vinum and fused their winemaking styles to create and celebrate pure wines of enjoyment, fun and leisure.
These wines are made for fjaka!