Twenty Years of Antunović Winery

At the Amadria Park Hotel Capital in Zagreb, on March 12, 2025, Jasna Antunović Turk and her son Branimir Turk recalled the first two decades of the winery and presented new great wines from the Grand Selection line. Following the great success of winning platinum at DECANTER 2017, the winery continues to add success to success. More than 15 wines were rated with more than 90 points, which is certainly a rarity for a winery in such a short period of time.

Jasna Antunović Turk planted the first vineyards in the war-torn area of ​​the Erdut vineyard back in 2004 and then built a winery. It has 14 hectares of vineyards in excellent positions on the southern slopes of Fruška Gora, surrounded on three sides by the Danube. Organised by the Wine Club, the entire GRAND SELECTION line was presented, two of which are entirely new wines, four new vintages of existing labels, and one archival wine. The welcome wine was a refreshing J Rosé Grand Selection 2024, made from Pinot Noir, sourced from the oldest vineyard, which is equally suitable as an aperitif as it is as a gastronomic wine that can accompany a variety of dishes.

The official presentation began with a fine wine from the most renowned Croatian variety, Graševina, which is the winery's flagship variety. Jasna Antunović approaches it with great understanding, aware of its potential for producing great wines if ideal conditions are created for this, which are primarily quality grapes, modern technology, climate, knowledge and experience. All of this was translated into the Graševina Tradition Grand Selection 2021, which was aged for 12 months in large Slavonian oak barrels. It is straw yellow in color and has a fine, moderately intense aroma of ripe white fruit, yellow meadow flowers and acacia flowers and pollen, rounded off by a subtle touch of oak and nuts. The taste is long, rich, creamy and juicy, interwoven with citrus-mineral freshness. Optimally ripe wine also has good potential for development.

It was followed by the Chardonnay Reserve Grand Selection 2020, for which the Antunović winery is widely known and through which the direction in which there is no wandering is best visible. It was also aged in a large barrel, but for 18 months. It is golden yellow in color and has a layered and complex, medium-intense aroma of yellow meadow flowers, ripe pear, vineyard peach, dried apricot, nuts and toasted bread. Its taste is fine, warm and soft, creamy, with pronounced mineral freshness, long and memorable. The series of white wines ended with the presentation of a mixture of varieties and vintages. Jubilea Reserve Grand Selection is a blend of green Silvaner from the 2011 harvest, Chardonnay from 2014 and Graševina from 2016. A wine of truly unusual composition. Now it is in the right form, as a result of the instinct and unquestionable knowledge of the winemaker. Fruity and floral aromas are mixed with white tea and meadow honey. It has a creamy, yet minerally fresh taste.

A mix of varieties and vintages was the first red wine Crnjak offered. The signature of Branimir Turk's son, a young agronomist who also studied in Bordeaux and took over responsibility for red wines at the winery, is already clearly visible here. Tango Grand Selection is a combination of varieties; the son, Cabernet Sauvignon, is from the 2020 vintage, the father, Cabernet Franc, is a year younger. They were aged for 12 months in large Slavonian oak barrels and produced a ruby-colored wine with delicate aromas of red fruits: cherries, sour cherries, and currants. It has a fine, warm, and soft taste, medium body, high freshness, and smooth tannins. The same varieties were used to produce the next two wines, with only the vintages being swapped. Cabernet Franc Grand Selection 2020 was aged for 12 months in small barrels (225 liters) made of Slavonian oak. It is ruby-colored with a light rim and a fine aroma of black berries with spicy notes of white pepper. The taste is juicy and fresh, with a pleasant bitterness interspersed throughout.

And that the right bank of the great river also loves the most widespread grape variety in the world, Jasna Antunović and Branimir Turk showed with the Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Selection 2021 wine. It also spent a year in barrels, but made of Hungarian oak. The variety retained its classic aroma of black berries, and in a different barrel, spicy notes of sage, thyme, black pepper and cloves developed. The wine is warm, partly soft and juicy, fresh and pleasantly bitter.

After the presentation of the new wines, the archive Graševina Premium 2010 was served! With a wine of impressive energy, Jasna Antunović set difficult-to-achieve standards! It is crystal clear, with a vibrant golden-amber color. The layered and complex aroma intertwines the aromas of overripe yellow fruit, rowan, the finest tobacco, floral honey, and meadow flowers. The taste is juicy, delicious, long, and characterized by a pronounced mineral freshness and a gentle bitterness that complements the variety. The Antunović winery presented itself as highly reliable, with a consistent quality and without unnecessary stylistic wanderings, which ensures it an excellent position in the demanding wine market.