Plavac Mali
Dalmatia, Croatia
Dalmatia's leading red, a cross of Zinfandel and Dobričić, producing powerful, tannic wines on the sun-baked slopes of the Pelješac peninsula.
Sensory profile
Characteristics
Flavor & aroma
At a glance
Production facts
Prevalence
Niche
Climate
Warm climate
Ripening
Late season
Wine styles
Still, Dessert
Where it's grown
Geography
Shaded areas are the state, province or département(s) containing each region, so they run wider than the appellations themselves.
Croatia
Pelješac, Hvar and Brač (Dalmatia)
Steep coastal vineyards give dense, alcoholic, tannic reds.
Background
Origin & History
The name means "small blue" in Croatian. In the early 2000s Carole Meredith's team and Croatian scientists showed that Zinfandel, known in Croatia as Crljenak Kaštelanski, is one parent of Plavac Mali, and that the other is Dobričić. It is a natural cross of two old Dalmatian grapes, so Zinfandel, Plavac Mali and Dobričić form a three-generation family.
Its best wines come from the very steep, rocky slopes of Dingač and Postup on the Pelješac peninsula, and from the islands of Hvar and Brač. They are dense, high in alcohol and tannin, with dried fruit and herbs.
Lineage
Family tree
Ancestry above, descendants below. Click a related grape to explore its own lineage.