A perfect blend of old and new - Vinarija Križ

Standout Plavac Mali and orange Grk from this tiny artisan winery in Dalmatia

Denis Bogoević Marušić and his father Mile are an impressive 42 years apart (Mile is 85 and Denis is 43). But as Denis's wife Maja remarks, "Both are well preserved with natural wine" - and both are actively engaged in the winemaking at their small two-hectare estate Vinarki Križ in Croatia's southerly Dalmatia.

The generation-spanning team isn't the only point worthy of note - Vinarija Križ is, despite its small size, a frontrunner for organic agriculture in the region, being certified organic since 2008. Furthermore, Denis and Mile make one of the few examples of Grk to be found outside its native island of Korčula. Križ's Grk 2016 is also notable for being macerated, harking back to a style that was almost certainly the norm a century ago. Right now, it's possibly the only 'orange' Grk on the market.

Grk is a full-bodied, honeyed variety even without its skins, but here in its skin-fermented guise (with seven days of maceration), it gains yet more weight and complexity whilst retaini…