Galić Winery: A Spherical Oak Barrel, A Secret Wine Cellar

Continuing our exploration of the region of Slavonia, while touring Croatia, I was excited to visit the Galić Winery as I had previously read about its GalileOak, a spherical oak barrel which was the only one in Croatia. This intrigued me so I very much wanted to see it, to better understand its purpose. Fortunately, we were able to visit this unique winery. 

When we toured the impressive winery, it brought to mind an intricate villain's lair (in a good way) from a James Bond film, including even a secret door that led to a hidden wine cellar. Was Galić poised to conquer the wine world? 

The Galić Winery was founded by Josip Galić, whose family had been involved in winemaking for generations, although mainly for hone consumption. Josip was a businessman, and when he sold his company around 2007, he decided to invest in a vineyard, purchasing 6.5 hectares, containing around 40,000 vines. Today, Galić now has about 60 hectares, with vineyards in 3 regions; two in Kujevol & Kutjevo, and one on coastal Dalmation (their Ego brand). They produce about 333,000 liters of wine annually, although they have a capacity of roughly double that.  

Their new winery, located in the village of Kutjevo, was opened on November 9, 2018. Approximately  15 million kuna were invested in the new winery, which was partially financed with EU subsidies. Everything in the winery looked shiny and new, with top notch winemaking equipment, and it was obvious the massive investment made into this facility. Beautiful and impressive, from its numerous oak barrels to concrete eggs, metal walkways to silvery pipes, tanks and barrels of various sizes. 

The number 9 is very important to Josip, considered his lucky number, and is also supposed to be the day of bis birth. As such, the number 9, or its sums and multiples, figures prominently in the winery. For example, the surface area of the building is 3,330 square meters while the total capacity of the winery is 630,000 liters. The wooden barrels generally have a capacity of 330 to 900 liters. Maceration often takes place for 33 or 66 days. A couple of the wines have "9" in their label. 

Our guide during our visit was Martin, an enologist, who worked for Galić from 2009-2014, but who then took a break, returning to the winery in 2020. A very personable and knowledgeable guide, answering all of your questions, leafing us through a tour of the winery, and then through a tasting of their wines.  

It's as if every inch of this winery is well thought out, with no waste, filled with fermentation tanks, numerous oak barrels, concrete eggs, and much more. I can picture James Bond running through this facility, trying to thwart the villain's diabolical plans. It's a beautiful place, a technological marvel. 

Galić desires to make more natural wines, and also make some orange wines. They produce three different lines: 1 liter bottles (only for sale in Croatia), screw capped bottles and premium bottles with cork. They only export about 10%-20% of their production, to 10 different countries, and Bosnia is their top export market. 

Their most commonly grown grape is Graševina, although they also grow grapes such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah. They always make dry wines, and that includes a couple of Sparkling Wines.

We began our tasting with the 2021 Galić Graševina, which has a 13.1% ABV and 25% of the wine was aged in large oak barrels for about three months. It was fresh, and crisp, with tasty apple notes, a rich mouthfeel, and mild herbal notes. A fun summer wine, it would pair well with seafood and light chicken dishes. I'd become a fan of Graševina, eager to taste all the various expressions I'd find in Slavonia. 

The 2021 Galić G-Tocka Graševina, with a 12.5% ABV, is a blend of 90% Graševina with 10% Sauvignon Blanc.  It was lighter than the 100% Graševina, and still fresh and bright, although with the addition of subtle grapefruit and lemon flavors, accompanied by the usual apple notes.

The 2021 Galić Sauvignon Blanc, with a 13% ABV, was fresh with bright acidity, and pleasant grapefruit and lemon flavors.

The 2021 Galić Rosé, with a 12% ABV, was a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 19% Pinot Noir. It was dry and fruity, with mild savory notes, and delightful tastes of strawberry and raspberry. Very pleasant taste.

The 2017 Galić Bijelo 9 was once a blend of 9 grapes, but now it's only a blend of 3 grapes, 50% Graševina, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, and 25% Chardonnay (which has seen some oak aging). Crisp and clean, it had pleasing apple and citrus notes, with a hint of spice and a minerality aspect. An excellent food wine, although it could be enjoyed on its own as well. Highly recommended. 

The 2017 Galić Pinot Noir, with a 13% ABV, spent about one year aging in 500 liter barrels. With a medium red color, it was one of the biggest Pinots we had tasted so far. It was dark and chewy, with good acidity, black cherry and plum flavors and moderate tannins. It might have benefited from being decanted, or aged a bit longer. It definitely has potential and I'd love to see how it develops in a few years.

The 2016 Galić Crno 9, with a 13% ABV, is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. It too was a big wine, with moderate tannins, black fruit flavors, mild spice notes and a lengthy finish. Another wine that should age well.

The NV Galić Brut hadn't been released yet at the time of our visit although was due to be released about a week later. Primarily from the 107 vintage, it was a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, having spent 2 years on the lees. I very much enjoyed this wine, which was crisp and dry, with tiny bubbles and tastes of green apple, citrus, and a touch of brioche. Refreshing and bright. 

On the first floor of the winery, in a room with numerous traditional oak barrels, was the GalileOak, produced by Seguin Moreau, which is a spherical oak tank which holds 15 hectoliters. Empty, it weights about 600 kg (about 1323 pounds) and is 203 cm (about 80 inches) in height. Galić possesses the only one in Croatia, and at one point, it was one of only 9 in the world, although several more might now exist. 

As 9 is Josip's lucky number, he was sure to obtain GalileOak #009, and that is noted on a small metal plaque on the sphere.

From the Seguin Moreau website, it states, "Building on this, Seguin Moreau has opted for a rotating spherical tank to limit temperature variation as far as possible and enable gentle stirring during fermentation, ensuring a delicate extraction process. This tool also promotes slow and natural convective motion during periods of maturation on the lees." There is also a 400mm window in the sphere which allows you to view the inside of the tank. The crank to the side of the sphere allows you to easily rotate the sphere, in a complete circle.  

Galić has not used the GalileOak yet, but is planning on doing so soon, although they will first fill the sphere with water to extract the green tannins. Then, they might experiment with placing Graševina into the sphere. The future of this sphere is going to be fascinating. 

Finally, we entered a meeting room which had a secret, concealed door. Definite shades of James Bond.

Past that secret door was a section of wine cellars, including a tasting area, a place for Cuban cigars, and storage for plenty of wine. You would not have expected there was so much space behind that secret door. 

The Galić Winery is an impressive winery, very high-tech and new, and they also produce some delicious wines. They are innovative and experimental, and have a bright future ahead of them. What will GalileOak produce in the future? I'll be keeping an eye on the progress of Galić.