The red grape variety originates from Croatia. Synonyms are Crljenak Kupusar, Crljenak Nincusar, Crljenak Runjavac, Crljenak Runjavac Crni, Kasteljanac, Kasteljanka, Klisanac, Plavac, Plavac Kupusar and Plavac Runjavac. The ancestry (parentage) is unknown. There is no genetic relationship with the variety Plavac Mali. The name refers to the large leaves similar to cabbage (Croat. Kupus). The medium to late maturing vine is very resistant to fungal diseases such as downy mildew, powdery mildew and botrytis, but susceptible to viruses. It produces tannin-rich red wines. The variety is often grown in mixed sets in the Trogier area west of Split, as well as on the islands of Hvar and Brac. It is often blended with the Plavac Mali variety. However, no stocks were reported in 2016 (Kym Anderson statistics).
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Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien