Thirty metres and more underground, a 356 metre former military tunnel holds wine in a different register of time. Since November 2007, Šipčanik has kept over 2 million litres ageing across 7,000 square metres, at a constant 17 to 19 degrees. Its counterpart is the Old Cellar at Lješkopolje, founded in 1963, where an archive lies eight metres below ground. Together, the two cellars give one estate two distinct histories of storage and craft.
Above them extends a vineyard of over 2,000 hectares in Ćemovsko polje, presented by the house as Europe’s largest single vineyard complex. Vranac accounts for about 70 percent of plantings, alongside kratošija, krstač, žižak and international varieties. At Šipčanik, sommelier-led visits take the form of three programmes, Bouquet, In vino veritas and Snaga terroira, each lasting about one hour.
