On the Rocks - 2020
Tomislav Marković
- Region
- Germany » Baden » Landwein Oberrhein
- Type
- red still, dry
- Producer
- Tomislav Marković
- Vintage
- 2020
- Grapes
- Pinot Noir
- Alcohol
- 12.5
- Sugar
- 0.2
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
Ratings
Tasted blind. Obviously, a cold climate. Obviously, low intervention. My guess was Baden, but I didn't recognise On the Rocks in the glass. I tasted it just two months ago, and it was clean and classical. Maybe a faulty bottle? Dog rose, bitter herbs and funky notes. High acidity and young medium-high tannin. It lacks volume and balance. Overall it feels stressed, it feels like a taut bowstring. Not simple though.
I tasted it blindly and guessed the region. A classic, even austere yet charming bouquet of raspberries, peonies, raw meat (with iron!), and underbrush. Nothing extra, just delicious Pinot Noir. Medium-light body, elegant, juicy and sophisticated, a pleasure in the glass.
Tomislav Marković
It is little known about Tomislav Marković, but his story seems to follow a familiar pattern. At some point, he decided to leave banking behind and switch to wine-making. A decision that came to life thanks to his occasional visits to his homeland Croatia. His uncle introduced Tomislav to the world of wine. And he became curious.
Yet before starting a winery, Tomislav wanted to get some knowledge and experience from other winemakers. In 2011, he left his banking job to study viticulture and oenology at Weincampus Neustadt. After some practice at Viera de Sousa in the Douro (Portugal) and Domaine de Montille in Volnay (Burgundy, France), he started to work as a consultant for organic viticulture and oenology.
In 2016, Tomislav became a négocian winemaker, a model he borrowed from Burgundy and Douro. It means that instead of farming vines, he was buying grapes from others to make his own wine. Risky and advantageous because it's challenging to get access to suitable and high-quality vineyards for a newcomer. Yet, he found a total of 0.5ha in Rheinhessen.
Later on, in 2019, Tomislav finally planted his own 0.5ha vineyard in Baden with Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire. In 2021, he even planted Touriga Nacional vines, presumably planted for the first time in Germany.