I know, I know—why go on a trip when the coast is right there? Head to the beach. Old-school folks like me even bring a book along, plus I can only handle about three minutes in the sun, so I immediately call it quits, retreating to the shade to recover from those three exhausting minutes of sunshine, preferably at a beach bar with a cold beer or cocktail, because who in their right mind drinks wine at the beach?! (By the way, I would be that person if they had spritzers or wine-based cocktails, but typically, you don’t find those in Dalmatia.) Yeah, but what if the wind picks up? A few years ago in Omis, a windstorm blew up so strong that even though it was 36 degrees, we couldn’t even go near the sea for two days. Or what if we happen to catch a rare rainy day, like the one fifteen years ago in Podobuce? So it may happen that the sea and the beach aren’t an option after all; in that case, it’s worth hopping in the car and setting off to explore the area. Here’s a tip on where to go this summer: Imotski!
Simunovic Kujundzusa 2025 I 85 points
Pale lemon color. Subtle aroma, hints of quince, apple peel, and gooseberry. On the palate, medium-bodied with rounded acids; a touch of CO2 adds liveliness. Ripe but not overly intense white-fleshed fruits. Easy to drink, but nothing special. The finish is medium, with green apple emerging.
Duzel Kujundzusa 2025 I 84 points
Pale lemon color. Quite an intense aroma: apple, lemon, and a hint of saltiness. Light and lively, with rounded acids, green apple, and salty lemon. The sulfur is quite noticeable. The flavor profile is also restrained. The finish is medium.
Susic Jokan One Kujundzusa 2024 I 86 points
Medium lemon color with greenish highlights. Gooseberry, unripe melon, and fig on the nose. Light-bodied with good acidity, a hint of CO2, lively, citrusy, and green apple notes. The finish is long and citrusy.
Soco Kujundzusa 2025 I 85 points
Pale lemon color with greenish highlights. Aromas of ripe white-fleshed fruits, apple, a hint of fig, quince, and green apple. Medium-bodied, with rounded acidity, ripe notes, citrus, apple, green apple, slightly green, with noticeable tannins. Medium-short finish.
Grabovac Kujundzusa 2025 I 86 points
Pale lemon color. In its moderately intense aroma: salty lemon, very little white flower, green apple. Light-bodied, with lively acidity, a hint of CO2, salty lemon, green apple, apple. Very drinkable, crystal clear, medium finish.
Jerkovic Kujundzusa 2025 I 86 points
Pale lemon color. Subdued aroma, mainly green apple. Light, lively acidity, CO2, lively, citrusy, green apple. Refreshing. Medium.
Katich Kujundzusa 2025 I 87 points
Pale lemon color. SB vibe, cut grass and nettle in the aroma. Light, fresh, lively, with a hint of CO2. The flavor has a bit of roundness; salty lemon takes the lead, but a touch of butter also emerges in the background. The finish is longer than medium.
Grabovac Kujundzusa Riserva 2019 I 89 points
Medium old gold color. Complex aroma with ripe white and yellow-fleshed fruits, cantaloupe, and a hint of sweet spice. Full-bodied, slightly soft, with flowers, yellow-fleshed fruits, and pollen on the palate. Good tannin management, nicely supporting the mouthfeel. The finish is longer than medium.
You may have noticed that we started right off with a Kujundžuša, and like so many things, this is no accident. Kujundžuša is a local, indigenous variety that has been completely looked down upon, as for decades it produced only table-quality wine at the cooperative, so people came to believe it yields a cheap, soft wine. True, but if you pay attention to it and reduce the yield, you’ve got the perfect spritzer—everyone’s favorite summer drink—which is as rare as a white raven this far south. It’s no coincidence that they’ve started paying more attention to this variety!
Soco Riesling 2025 I 86 points
Medium lemon color with greenish highlights. On the nose, pear, white flowers, a hint of minerality, and pollen. On the palate, medium-bodied, lively, with vibrant acidity; the nose is reflected in the flavor, complemented by green apple and citrus. The finish is long, with notes of green apple, pear, salty lemon, and lemon zest.
Grabovac Posip Selekcija 2025 (tank sample) I 91 points
Medium+ lemon color with greenish highlights; not yet clear, but that’s okay since it’s a tank sample. Pineapple, apple, lemon, mandarin. On the palate, medium-bodied, round, with nice acidity, a Mediterranean vibe, but not lazy—rather lively. Long, complex, mature. It will be beautiful.
Katich posip 2024 I 86 points
Medium—lemon color. Restrained aroma, a hint of minerality, lemon zest, a touch of fig, mandarin. Medium-bodied, nice acidity, a hint of smoky-flinty notes, ripe citrus, lemon zest, orange peel. A tonic-like bitterness in the finish.
Simunovic Bili Vuk 2025 I 87 points
Pale lemon color. At first sniff, sulfur is still detectable in the aroma. Behind that, white-fleshed fruits. Medium-light body, lively acidity, apple, citrus, juicy, lively, very drinkable. The finish is longer than medium, with notes of green apple.
Duzel Chardonnay 700 2024 I 86 points
Pale lemon color. Restrained aroma, white-fleshed fruits, apple, lemon. Medium-minus body, lively acids, white-fleshed fruits on the palate as well. Medium finish. Nothing special.
Jokic Gigolo 2022 Posip+Zilavka I 85 points
Medium+ lemon color. On the nose: hazelnut, saltiness, sweet spices—an interesting blend, quite complex. Full-bodied, round acidity; it’s already on the decline but still has merit—ripeness, Mediterranean citrus, spices, slightly high alcohol. The finish is medium.
Katich Mirite Blanc 2022 I 89 points
Medium+ lemon color. On the nose: butteriness, popcorn, a hint of pear. On the palate: full-bodied, broad mouthfeel but good acidity, nice oak spices, butteriness, citrus, mainly mandarin. The finish is longer than medium, with an elegant structure.
Grabovac Draga Riserva 2023 I 90 points
Medium lemon color. On the nose, sweetish oak spices and Mediterranean citrus, mandarin, apple, and pear, with a hint of butteriness. On the palate, full-bodied, broad mouthfeel, lively acids, and nice ripe tannins. Sweet spices dominate the flavor, accompanied by white and yellow-fleshed fruits. The finish is longer than medium.
Jerkovic Ivan 2023 I 86 points
Pale gold color. The aroma features many yellow and white flowers, a hint of perfume, sweet spices—unusual for the variety. On the palate, it has a medium body, lively acidity, slightly sticky tannins, herbs, licorice, lemon zest, and mint. The finish is medium.
As for the other whites, there is something here to please every palate, yet perhaps the Pošip and Žilavka stand out the most. The former is a grape variety from the islands, primarily Korčula, while the latter is mostly grown in Herzegovina, which is just a few kilometers from Imotski, given that we’re talking about a town right on the border. It can be said of both varieties that they benefit from the nighttime cool! Imotski differs from the islands in that, although the mercury rises to 38 degrees during the day in summer, at night the air rushing down from the mountains cools the landscape to between 16 and 18 degrees, even in the height of summer heat.
Jerkovic Trnjak 2023 I 88 points
Medium ruby color. Aromas of sweet spices and vanilla. On the palate, light-bodied with lively acids, plenty of red berries, and sweet spices. Quite good, delicious, easy to drink, and lively. A Pinot Noir-like wine with an elegant finish.
Grabovac Trnjak 2022 I 88 points
Medium ruby color. At first glance, woody aromas, raw oak, toffee, caramel, vanilla, and cloves. On the palate, medium-bodied, nice acidity; the wood is dominant here as well, but red berries are starting to come through. A hint of smoke, purple flowers, sour cherries, and sweet cherries. The finish is medium.
Duzel Trnjak Premium 2019 I 90 points
Medium ruby color. The aroma reveals ripeness, a hint of jam, cherries and sour cherries, and a touch of oxidation. Medium body, sweetish oak spice, ripe tannins, lively acids. Very long finish, with plenty of sweet spices and cherry notes, sour cherries, rock candy, and licorice.
Katich Trnjak 2020 I 88 points
Medium ruby color. On the nose, lots of wood, a hint of mustiness, stemmy notes, and grape marc. On the palate, full-bodied, lively acidity, velvety tannins, sweetish spices, red berries, plum, sour cherry, and sweet cherry. The finish is long.
Simunovic Caca 2022 (Syrah) I 87 points
Medium ruby color. No trace of pepper, but there is leather and animal notes. Medium+ body, lively acidity, nice tannins; the animal notes aren’t as pronounced on the palate—here, flowers and red berries, particularly sour cherries, take the lead. The finish is medium, with some sweet spice.
The lighter red line is represented by Trnjak, which in Imotski was traditionally planted and harvested together with Vranac, so the wines from these two grape varieties formed a sort of red Imotski field blend. In nearby Herzegovina, Trnjak remains the partner of Blatina (the local blue grape) to this day, as Blatina requires another grape variety for pollination. (Just as in Badacsony, where Kéknyelű is typically planted alongside Budai Zöld for this reason.)
Susic Vranac 2020 I 90 points
Deep ruby color. Aromas of smoked bacon, dried plums, sour cherry jam, and blackberries. Full-bodied, with a hint of jammy sweetness, lively acidity, minerality, and abundant fruit; the oak only reemerges in the finish. A complex wine, long, lively, and well-crafted.
Jokic (Vranac) sauvage I 89 points
Deep ruby color with a black core. Intense aroma of blackberry jam, chocolate; hedonistic, deep, and complex. Full-bodied, lively acidity, vibrant, dense, and chewy; the aroma is reflected in the flavor—juicy, spicy, and chocolatey. Rolling, full-bodied yet vibrant and long.
Grabovac Vranac Riserva 2020 I 93 points
Deep ruby color. On the nose: sweet spices, vanilla, cloves, plum, blackberry, cocoa beans. On the palate: full-bodied, wonderful acidity, vibrant yet silky, full-bodied, fresh, complex, amazing. The nose is reflected in the palate. Black berries. Beautiful and long. Superb.
Soco Regoc 2022 (Vranac) I 87 points
Deep ruby color, almost black. On the nose: vanilla, black berries, chocolate, blackberry jam, licorice. Full-bodied, nice acidity, clinging tannins; everything is big, dense, complex, and hedonistic, but a bit raw and unruly. The flavor mirrors the aroma. The finish is medium.
Katich Mirite Noir 2018 I 90 points
Deep ruby color. Deep and complex aroma. Black berries, blackberries, pepper, sour cherries, plums, cassis. Full-bodied, a hint of leather, strawberry, then come the black berries, chocolate, and lively acids. The finish is longer than medium. Superb, age-worthy yet drinkable, elegant style. I love it!
Grabovac Modro Jezero Riserva 2019 I 94 points
Deep ruby color. Moderately intense aroma, meaty, cassis, with black berries. Full-bodied, lively acidity, cedar, sweet spice, firm tannins, chocolate, blackberry, cassis. Long, complex, yet very drinkable. A wonderful wine, as if it were fresh. Wow.
The entire Imotski region is not very large; it is separated from the sea by the Biokovo Mountains and the 1,762-meter peak of Sv. Jure, with the backdrop provided by the recently formed young state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the southern part of the valley, where the soil is much clayier, lighter wines are produced; this is typically where the Kujundžuša vineyards are located, while in the north, on the firmer soils, more structured red wines are produced. The top vineyards are located in the higher regions of the valley, in the rockier areas. The entire Imotski region covers no more than 500 hectares, of which approximately 300 hectares officially belong to the wine region. Most of the 10–15 wineries strive to sell their wine locally; so far, only Grabovac has gained national and perhaps international recognition—and deservedly so.
As for visiting, the town of Imotski and its surroundings are famous for their crystal-clear mountain lakes; one is located directly above the town, with a parking lot right next to it—it’s worth stopping to admire the scenery. And while we’re here, it’s just a minute’s walk to the Emotheo Heritage Hotel’s restaurant, Tri Sunca, where, in addition to the extensive wine list, the raštika cream soup (made from a variety of kale) is worth trying as the house specialty.
The valley is located 1 hour and 15 minutes from Split, 45 minutes from Makarska, less than two hours from Ston, and an hour and a half from Mostar in Bosnia. If you don’t want to spend an entire day here, you can easily combine a visit with a trip to Pocitelj, Mostar, or even the Neretva Delta, where you can treat yourself to fresh oranges, figs, and lemons, along with local wines—but that’s a topic for another article.
