Photos: Daniel Ercsey
In Srem, new wineries are springing up one after another – a bit like in Hungary twenty years ago. However, even there it is a rarity for the manager of a large estate to run a garage winery alongside his main business. The story of Chichateau is a perfect example of this…
The Chichateau winery was founded by four friends – Đorđe Stojšić, Bojan Dodevski, Ramazi Inaišvili and Vladimir Čupić – in the small village of Šišatovac, situated on the southern slopes of Fruška Gora. Even the winery’s name clearly signalled the team’s playful, somewhat confrontational, ‘punk’ attitude, with which they undoubtedly intended to poke fun at the Serbian wine snobbery that was rife at the time of its founding – a culture built on reverence for tradition and the imitation of antiquity. Their first big hit was a rosé called Pink Punk; this was Serbia’s first Provence-style rosé, which they had intended as such from the outset, with everything – including the harvest date – tailored to suit the wine’s style. With this, the small estate, which covered just 3 hectares at the time, became famous overnight!
Much water has flowed down the Danube since the first vintage in 2012, Đorđe Stojšić became director of the Erdevik winery and not only saved the former cooperative cellar but turned it into an astonishing success; however, the old friends gradually drifted away from the estate itself, which had been developed from his grandfather’s vineyard. That said, they have since outgrown their ‘garage winery’ status, as they now cultivate 8 hectares and produce 35,000 bottles, though they have no plans to expand beyond this. Đorđe has believed in international grape varieties from the very beginning; the Chardonnays and Bordeaux blends that have come from his hands have been proving their worth for decades, but due to climate change, he now believes that, alongside Chardonnay, the future of Srem may lie in the medium term with Cabernet Franc and the local hybrid Probus (Cabernet Sauvignon + Kadarka).
Sauvignon Blank 2025 (30% aged in used barrels, the rest in tanks) I 88 points
Pale lemon colour. On the nose, typical varietal aromas, a hint of nettle and tropical fruit, but a touch of flint also emerges, as if it were a blend of European and New Zealand wines. Medium-bodied, with sharp, knife-like acidity and a cold, metallic quality, accompanied by nettle, citrus and green apple. This persists on the finish too; the tropical fruits have disappeared. The aftertaste is long, masculine and characterised by lively acidity.
FMaB Chardonnay 2025 I 89 points
Pale lemon colour. On the nose: lemon, a hint of flint, green pear. On the palate: medium-bodied, crisp acidity, a lively mouthfeel, clean citrus and green apple flavours. The finish is also dominated by the acidity. It offers an interesting contrast to the Erdevik Chardonnays, but bearing in mind that the grapes for those come from the eastern part of the wine region, grown on loess soil, whilst the grapes for this wine are grown here in Šišatovac, on the top of the hill opposite the monastery, where the grapes often ripen two weeks later and have a completely different acid profile.
Sauvignon Blake 2024 I 88 points
Medium lemon colour. On the nose: smoke, old furniture, wax. On the palate: full-bodied, with lively acidity; flavours of white-fleshed fruits, citrus and smoke again, complemented by hazelnut. The medium-length finish is still dominated by the oak. It is still too early to open; it is worth waiting a couple of years. Great promise!
Chi Chardonnay 2025 I 91 points
Medium lemon colour. A restrained nose with a hint of citrus. On the palate, it has a medium-plus body, lively acidity and a refreshing mouthfeel; the oak is present more in the structure than in the flavour. A hint of hazelnut emerges alongside the green apple and citrus finish. It will be lovely; it’s worth waiting for.
Frank Solo Cabernet Franc 2023 I 88 points
Deep crimson colour. On the nose, sour cherry, plum and plenty of juicy fruit. On the palate, it has a medium-plus body, lively acidity, plenty of black berry fruit, a taut structure and slightly drying tannins. It is still very young, but will be lovely once the tannins have mellowed. The finish is long.
Fabula Lagum 2021 I 92 points
Deep ruby colour, with aromas of plum, blackberry, a hint of dark chocolate and lilac flowers. Full-bodied, with lively acidity; it never feels heavy, even though the mouthfeel is broad and the structure is firm. It has just reached maturity; I think it will remain like this for about 10 years. Juicy, complex, deep and very drinkable.
