Happy New Year with some pretty citric, mashy sweet and cardboard flat sparkling wine from Ukraine's Odessa region made from Aligoté, Pinot Blanc, Riesling and the autochthonous foxtail grape Telti-Kuruk. A very simple and fiercely sweet fizz from industrial production by wine giant Shabo with confusingly mild mousse. Not really me I am afraid! The Armenian Keush Methode Traditionelle Brut from the highest vineyards in Europe (and beyond) – approx 1750 m above sea level – was most certainly some treat with a lot of unique character! The approx. 60 year old Voskehat (60%) and Khatouni (40%) grapes for this N. V. Methode Traditionelle were cultivated on limestone and vulcanic soils in the western Armenian region of Vayots Dzor roughly located around Mount Ararat. This fizz presented itself very lean, crisp, mineral driven with shy fruit flavours from yuzu and bergamots, traces of low sugar danish pastry and a profound imprint from white flowers and mild green herbs. Not the most complex sparkling wine, not very swanky either ... but a quite unique and most certainly decent**** experience! Happy New Year everybody!!!
