It wasn't even 10 am, and Danijel Kraljević and his team were already resting from their work in the vineyard. It's hard to imagine how they felt, considering that we were also getting seriously sick of the heat in the air-conditioned car. Rescue was the Scoltime, a sparkling wine made from Istrian Malvasia produced using the classic method of second fermentation in the bottle. The name Scoltime could be translated as listen to me.
Scoltime's story is a Danijel's story
Cuj means the same. The name of the winery was based on the words of Daniel's grandfather, who was saying Cuj, let me tell you... Whether it was truth or not, we happily listened to what Scoltime had to say to us, through the gentle bubbling, and what Danijel was talking. And in his words were a lot of his grandfather's thoughts...
That Scoltime, an exceptionally fresh brut nature sparkling wine made from Malvasia served in the shade of a pergola, brought us back to life. The vintage is 2022, wine is exceptionally fresh and has a really nice taste. It's easy to drink, but it keeps your mouth fresh for quite a long time.
Underground promenade
It seemed as if it has picked up the freshness of the cellar. A unique cellar dug into the rock with a kind of walkway between natural stone and built-in walls. Part of that underground promenade is also a shelf for the second fermentation of sparkling wines in the bottle and their subsequent aging. This year, they will be doing their twentieth harvest in that cellar
The still fresh Malvasia is, of course, the main wine of the house, but it is not exactly like those from most Istrian wineries. Danijel and his team harvest grapes from three locations with different soils. The white soil later gives the wine softness and harmony, the red soil intensity and strength, and the black soil fullness and structure.
They don't bottle everything at once
We make a special fresh Malvasia from each location and combine them when bottling. And we don't bottle everything at once, but in four batches, explains Danijel, adding that this is why this most important wine of the Cuj winery is adorned with fruity aromas with an emphasis on white flowers and citrus petals, and the taste is delicate, harmonious and rich in minerals. It is recommended with seafood and fish dishes and various pastas.
Malvasia Baština, what means heritage, in Cuj winery is made of selected grapes, with berries macerated for five days. After the fermentation, the wine is aged in wooden barrels for a year on fine lees. The complex wine goes well with pasta with truffles, chicken scabies, and mature cheeses.
Teran gives freshness, Merlot elegance
Rosé Cuj is a combination of Teran (60 percent) and Merlot. The Istrian variety is responsible for freshness and the Bordeaux variety gives it elegance. The wine is dry, and it is recommended with octopus salad, buzara mussels, and seafood pasta.
Teran was also added to white Muscat in the semi-sweet wine Špekula, what means the marbe. Just one percent of this wild but beautiful Istrian variety was enough to give the wine a hint of basil aromas, a purple color, and a touch of freshness and minerality.
Prices range from 12 to 32 euros
The base Malvasia and Rosé cost 12 euros, Špekula is a euro more expensive, and the price of the Malvasia Baština is 16 euros. Boscolo is 21 euros, sparkling wine is 24 euros, and Teran is 32 euros. The sparkling wine in a magnum, which seems to be hiding behind the bottled wine in the cover photo, costs 53 euros.
Magnum is a liter and a half bottle in which wines travel through time best, because the ratio of air to wine in it is the best. They also say that it is the best measure for two, if one does not drink.
A universal blend of oils from three varieties
Kraljević also makes four oils from three varieties of olives. For raw fish, grilled fish, for chocolate and for all of it. Cuj oil from the buža variety has fresh notes and goes well with raw fish, especially tuna and salmon. The črna variety, meaning black, produces an oil that smells of grass and spices, enriching grilled fish and octopus or seafood salads. Spicy bjelica (white one) oil, on the other hand, can be used as a topping for chocolate ice cream or mousse. A mixture of these three varieties will, I guess, go well with everything listed.
The family tradition of wine and oil production dates back to the 15th century, and 20 years ago they opened a modern winery. They also have bed & breakfast accommodation, three rooms with bathrooms in the colors of olive oil, Malvasia and Teran. There is a jacuzzi on the terrace, a sauna in the atrium, and a breakfast hall or tasting room of family products on the ground floor. Here are a few more photos of the tasting room, winery and surroundings:
Photos: Marko Malović, Pro Wine