One of the best Pošip wine is made far from native homeland
Twenty years ago, Ivica Milan had carefully selected Pošip grapevines from Korčula and brought it by hand to Kaštela. He gave them a new life under the slopes of mountain Kozjak.
Pošip is a true Croatian white grape indigenous to the island of Korčula. Discovered by chance, this white grape was one of the very few that managed to resist phylloxera. It still grows on its rootstock since it was planted in sandy soils of Smokvica village.
Because of its intense aromas and flavor, with high alcohol, Pošip wasn’t Dalmatians first drinking choice, until recently. Now things have changed for the better, and today Pošip wines are balanced and elegant, with a specific character reflecting its native terroir.
Pošip used to grow only on the island of Korčula, but thanks to its early ripening, today it is spread throughout Dalmatia – Pelješac peninsula, islands of Brač and Hvar, Pakleni islands, Korlat region, and Biokovo slopes.
Ivica Milan was the first to bring Pošip to Kaštel, the hinterland of Split. After having participated in grape harvest in Korčula in 1993, he instantly came to the idea of planting a sample on the land of his ancestors. In his opinion, Kaštel was even more suitable for Pošip vineyards due to terraced landscaped terrains, sun-drenched slopes, rich and thick soil that favors the vines.
While everyone was planting red varieties at the time, Ivica Milan was the one who dared to plant a white vine. He planted the first Pošip in Kaštela in February 1994, so 610 vines of this godly variety have started to grow in Budožić and Sitnik area.
Ivica Milan applied unique “pergola cultivation”, raised the vines high, allowing each cluster of grapes excellent balance of shade and sun. He achieved ideal insolation with controlled ripening, sugar, and alcohol.
The result is superb Pošip Milan from Kaštela in a limited production of 3.000 bottles. Today, the number of vines climbs to about 3,000-4,000 and Ivica was joined by his son Matej in the vineyard.
Although their production is limited and they are one of the smaller family wineries, Ivica and his son can boast with top quality wines of controlled origin. Milan’s Pošip is definitely one of the finest Dalmatian non-island white wines. And this is confirmed by many awards.
Pošip Milan 2016 is light golden colored with appealing fruity aromas, a bit mineral in some salty and limestone way. Flavor is slightly acidic at first and pleasantly rounded with smooth fruity notes. Medium bodied with long apple and grape finish. Fruitier Pošip than the ones from Korčula.
If you want a sip of gold dalmatian droplets, you can order your bottle of Pošip at our webshop. This high-quality wine bottle can be paired with white fish, crustaceans, chicken and white sauces.
Not sure where Kaštela is located? Take a look at this amazing video, revealing all that you want to know about this historic place.
