James Suckling visits Šapat Wine Atelier

The world’s most influential wine critic, James Suckling, has added Serbia to his map of the world’s leading wine regions. Suckling visited Serbia at the invitation of Mladen Dragojlović, Chief Oenologist at Šapat Wine Atelier, and his long-time friend. During his stay, the renowned American critic spent a day at Šapat Wine Atelier, where he toured the vineyard and tasted a selection of our wines.

“We were absolutely delighted that James Suckling accepted our invitation. Within just 24 hours of arriving, he was already impressed by the energy he experienced here. He enjoyed not only the outstanding wines that had prompted his visit, but also the complete experience, including the flavours, aromas, landscapes and, of course, our hospitality. Although we had all been looking forward to welcoming him, it is important to remember just how influential he is within the global wine industry. His ratings have a significant impact on how wines are positioned on the international market. Chile and Argentina are excellent examples – his reviews played an important role in transforming their wine industries, and today they rank among the world’s most respected wine regions. I believe he can do the same for Serbia. This is the first country in the region that he has visited, and I am confident that the quality of our wines can help elevate the entire Serbian wine scene to a new level,” said Dragojlović.

Suckling’s impression of Serbia was overwhelmingly positive. He noted that the quality of Serbian wines has improved significantly since 2000 and believes that, over the next five years, the country will produce a considerable number of world-class wines. He also pointed out that Serbia’s geographical position offers excellent opportunities not only for wine production but also for wine trade, making it well positioned to become a regional hub for both domestic and international wines.

During his visit to Šapat Wine Atelier, Suckling emphasised that he was highly impressed by the quality of Serbian wines. He highlighted the importance of focusing on wines made from indigenous grape varieties, such as Grašac and Prokupac, adding that, for Serbia, quality rather than quantity is the right long-term strategy. He also praised the quality of the vineyards at Šapat Wine Atelier.

After spending several days in Serbia, Suckling also shared his impressions of the country’s outstanding gastronomy, noting that Serbian specialities pair exceptionally well with local wines.

James Suckling is one of the world’s leading wine critics, whose reviews are widely respected by wine enthusiasts, serious collectors and wine professionals around the globe. His website currently features more than 300,000 wine ratings. He uses the 100-point scoring system, which he has applied for nearly four decades. Wines awarded 90 points or more are considered outstanding, while a score of 95 points or higher represents one of the highest distinctions in the wine world.

Mladen Ćirić, Director of Šapat Wine Atelier, emphasised the importance of Suckling’s visit for the winery:

“A high score from James Suckling is one of the strongest endorsements a winery can receive anywhere in the world. He has already awarded excellent ratings to our wines, with Terol 2022, made from the rare Teroldego grape variety, receiving our highest score to date – 94 points. During this visit, he tasted all of our new labels, and the ratings will be published at a later date. We are confident that his assessment will once again confirm the quality of our wines,” said Ćirić.

In addition to state-of-the-art technology, the highest-quality grape harvest and exceptional expertise invested in winemaking, the outstanding quality of the grapes grown across Šapat Wine Atelier’s 12-hectare vineyard is also the result of its unique loess soil, rich in limestone and highly porous – conditions that are ideal for growing premium wine grapes.