Grower Champagne-quality sparklers are starting to pop up in unexpected locales. We've seen them appear in places you’ve heard of, like California (Ultramarine). Now we are seeing them in a place you’ve never heard of: Plešivica. That’s just a few miles southwest of Zagreb, in Croatia.

The Croatians think of Plešivica as “Croatia’s Champagne”. Good marketing, for sure, but there is some actual truth behind it. For one thing, it is indisputably Croatia’s best region for sparkling wine. And they work with Champagne varieties Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (as well as indigenous Croatian varieties and some others). You will find similarities in climate (continental) and soils (limestone). Terroir is a fickle thing, however, and there are plenty of differences as well (there’s more marl here and less chalk).

Tomac, a family that has been farming here literally for centuries, now works just like a top Grower. They work exclusively with their own vines, some of which are now 80 years old. Everything is farmed biodynamically. Winemaking is all natural, with spontaneous fermentation in large old casks. There is zero dosage and extended aging before release.

For years, it was nearly impossible to find Tomac sparkling wines outside of Zagreb, where they are allocated down to the bottle. You can’t even find them in the tourist towns on Croatia’s coasts. Now, for the first time, our partners at Vinum – top specialists in Croatian imports – were able to secure a small allocation for the United States. We are thrilled that all of you can try these now:

Tomac, Diplomat Sparkling, NV $45.99
80% Chardonnay, 20% Žuti Plavec. Zippy sparkler of lemon curd and brioche.

Tomac, Blanc de Noirs, NV $45.99
100% Pinot Noir. This one is harder to distinguish from Champagne, but with time you’ll pick up on the local nuances of this intense, mineral-rich sparkler.