"Under watchful eyes and, subtle palate and expert knowledge of our technicians, wine is fermented, depending on variety, in stainless steel or oak barrels. Red wines are fermented using a classic method, with daily submersion of grape skins, in vats. Some of the red wines, but also some white wines, are matured in barrique barrels made in locally grown Slavonian pedunculate oak."
Wine maturing philosophy applied in our cellar builds upon the philosophy of environmentally friendly winegrowing. The terroir and climate prevailing through a year on slopes of Krndija that surround Kutjevo permit us to grow 38 different grapevine cultivars. Apart from regular harvest, the climate allows spätlese and auslese harvests.
Peculiarities of spätlese harvests are reflected by development of additional sugars, aromas and scent in grapes left on vines. During a spätlese harvest fully ripe grapes a picked, and must weight is at least 94° Oechsle.
Auslese and trockenbeerenauslese harvest are even more special. Auslese harvest grapes are carefully picked, and must weight is at least 105° Oechsle. Beerenauslese harvest grape must is pressed from berries affected by noble rot, while the must weight is at least 127° Oechsle. The trockenbeerenauslese harvest, as indicated by the name, is a process of specially selecting dried berries, yielding must weight of at least 154° Oechsle.
Despite variable micro-climate of our Krndija, vines regularly produce excellent crop. In such conditions, indigenous variety of Welschriesling truly shines – it is picked during the regular harvest and in all other harvests – as spätlese and auslese. Each of those wines is specific in its own way, and harmony of taste, colour and fragrance is affected by exact locations of the vineyards. Therefore, for instance, Welschriesling picked in Vidim, Pomale or Mitrovac vineyards, comprise specific nuances characteristic for the location, terroir, micro-climate prevailing in those specific areas during a winegrowing season.
Krauthaker wines are appreciated throughout Croatia, and insistence on superior quality brought about increasingly significant export of our wines, which have since become a staple of wine lists of some world famous restaurants. A quarter of wine produced is currently exported to 17 countries: United States, England, Germany, Sweden, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Russia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Australia, Slovenia, Austria, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Archaeological finds indicate that Požega Valley was favoured habitation of Illyrians, Celts, Romans, Slavic and other peoples. Požega Valley inhabitants always appreciated and used natural advantages of the area. Winemaking in the area began upon arrival of Cistercians in 1232 on the slopes of Krndija, where they settled, developed winegrowing, founded a wine cellar and the settlement of Kutjevo.
| FERMENTATION | |
| WHITES | |
| 80% in stainless steel vats with controlled temperature | |
| 20% in barrique barrels and vats | |
| ROSE | |
| in stainless steel vats with controlled temperature | |
| REDS | |
| classic process in vats with daily submersion of grape skins | |
| DURATION OF FERMENTATION | |
| WHITES and ROSE | |
| 15 to 20 days | |
| REDS | |
| reds: 2 to 3 weeks (depending of extraction of tannins) | |
| FERMENTATION TEMPERATURE | |
| WHITES | |
| 18 - 20 ºC | |
| ROSE | |
| 18 - 22 ºC | |
| REDS | |
| 25 - 28 ºC | |
| MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION | |
| WHITES and ROSE | |
| partial | |
| REDS | |
| yes | |
| MATURING | |
| WHITES and ROSE | |
| in stainless steel vats for 6 to 10 months | |
| PORTION OF THE WHITES | |
| in oak barrique barrels with sediment for 4 to 12 months | |
| REDS | |
| in oak barrels (barrique) for 12 months or more | |
| BOTTLING PREPARATION | |
| WHITES, ROSE and REDS | |
| one filtration | |
| MATURING POTENTIAL (bottle maturing) |
|
| WHITES | |
| 3 to 10 years | |
| PREDICATES | |
| 6 to 20 years | |
| ROSE | |
| up to 3 years | |
| REDS | |
| 3 to 10 years |
The Challenge International du Vin is one of the world's biggest competitions and events in the world of wine. This prestigious competition is held every year in France and access to qualitative organization proves ISO 9001 certification for this event. At the 36th consecutive contest held o…
MoreKrauthaker wines as a flavors of Croatia
December 2nd 2011Two medals for Krauthaker wines
October 17th 2011Krauthaker took away 3 gold medals
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