... well, the headline says already far too much about the humongous ignorance and the insatiable thirst of the author. No real news, I fear! To prevent me from writing even more nonsense ... which is absolutely impossible to achive, I'd like to keep this introduction as short as possible! 39 glimpses in 2023 were far too many to process in an adequate manner. As you are about to see right after this ... (having written that, there were quite a few spectacular viewings with tons of unique character and captivating flavour patterns ... so I'd go for it, if I were you) ...
Sagmeister Pinot Noir 2018, Kanias – Serbia
An idiosyncratic super spicy Pinot Noir monument
from Fruska Gora National Park in Serbia. Plenty of juniper, cloves,
pimento, dark cherries, plums, black pepper, soy sauce and de-sugared
shortbread with a heavy punch of iron. Very dense, almost heavy and
complex Pinot with tons of potential - kinda fantastic****** …
however due to its firm character quite challenging as well. Elegance is not really lacking ... it is just different, compared to most other Pinots.
Jaroslav Springer Terasy Pinot Noir 2017, Morava – Czech Republic
Very lean, super cool, herb-driven Pinot Noir
from one of Morava's shining stars. Very clear and pristine fruit
flavours of raspberries and red currant as well as plenty of spice
from tea'ish herbal flavours. Quite a subtle entry-level Pinot
pleasure – very very dencent***** indeed! A swift quaffer in style!
Voskeni Sardarapati Areni 2017, Ararat – Armenia
Packed with sensual juicyness, dirty earthiness, bloodthirsty dark cherries, plumy plums, volcanic spice, shy smoky bacon, racy cardamom and soaking choco cookies! Pure liquid lust – downright very decent*****
Winnica Wieliczka Riesling 2019, Małopolska – Poland
Polish Riesling from a winemaker with a ultra famous name (scroll a bit down and you will understand) with lush 24K gold hue and a lemon infused filigree white flowery nose. The palate was enormously salty (cultivated above an actual salt mine), packed green herbs, almonds, slightly creamy lemons incl. zests and phenolic sturdiness. Very unique and firm style of Riesling – very decent*****
Fekete Pince Hárslevelü 2013, Somlói - Hungary
Classic lush Fekete Hárslevelũ
power expression from the grand masters last vintage! Plenty of physalis,
cantaloupe, sea buckthorne, liver, white pepper, sage (butter), cold smoke
and colder candle. Very complex, very elaborat! A bit too heavy on the alcohol side ... for my tongue. Something
for friends of pure unadulterated preassure drinking – really really
decent**** … maybe even very decent*****, for my tongue a bit overwhelming and stressing though ...
Domaine Bessa Valley Enira Reserva 2017, Bessa Valley – Bulgaria
Very international style! Quite dense and big.The fruity syrah part seems too influencial for my taste. Overall quite uniform character. Certainly a good wine with no flaws or edges. Could be from pretty much everywhere. Rather boring – still decent****
Homonna Pince Furmint- Hárslevelü 2018, Tokaij – Hungary
Elderberry all over, traces of petroleum, fresh ginger, yellow apples, wild curcuma, quite a lot of greenery and a lot of life! Not all too much depth though. Luckily not as musty naturalistic as other vintages of this specific wine. Not peculiar at all - decent****
Gitana Winery Rara Negara 2018, Moldova
The Black Grandma (aka Rara Negara)
showed something like slightly boiled tart bramble jelly with plenty
of smoke, cooking banana, malty and green herbs with a quite a lot of
body conciousness and length. Quite some wintertime wine for the
fireplace – still decent****, not really me though. Quite big stuff!
Castel Jidvei Muscat Ottonel Demidulce 2017, Transsilvania – Romania
Strong impulse by sheer lemon attack,
hints of scouring agent, bog stone and very very perfumed nose and tongue (?). Luckily not too sweet, however
quite obstrusive and snappy. An experience I should say - certainly
consumable** if necessary ...well, never understood Muscat Ottonel in the first place
Guerila Zmagoslav Petrič Retro 2017, Primorska – Slovenia
A wild mix of Pineta, Zelen, Rebula and Malvasia from maritimeish Slovenia with amberish oliy-lush looks. Plenty of almond flowers, tangerine zests, straw, honey, dried oranges, camoile, salty avocados and a crude smoky herbal touch with tons of tongue-memory impact. Long lasting serious fun with an extra scoop of etheral power – not disturbing at all – very decent*****
Aurelia Visinescu Artisan Tamaioasa Romaneasca 2021, Dealu Mare – Romania
Imagine a sincerely curious blend of 70% proper peachy Rheinhessen Riesling, 20% spicy and mildly grassy South Styrian Sauvignon Blanc and 10% of salty Muscadet straight out of the Atlantic ocean. Not complex at all, however a quite curiously crisp and dancing summerwine from lower Transsilvania – very solid so-so***
Vazisubani Estate Kisi Qveri 2018, Mukuzani – Georgia
Pure Kisi power straight oudda the amphora! Clear coppery amber colour. In the nose Darjeeling tea, roibos, tar, smoke, lemon zests, even more orange zests and tons of green herbs. On the palate even more characterful (and challenging)! Plenty of Darjeeling plus a spalsh of Puh-err, dried green herbs, peppermint, cinnamon, roasted ginseng and very snappy juvenile complex tannin. On the second day a bit more harmonius. What a pretty much fantastic****** wild ride!
Voskevaz Karasi Areni Noir 2017, Ararat – Armenia
Dark ruby hue with a radiant soul! A nasal potpurri of various plums with herbal-mushroomy-peppery background framed with some violets. On the palate quite elegant and sappy-breezy! Just a plumish beauty with a decent backbone and a lot of becoming pleasure! Perhaps not the most complex Pinot in disguise – quite fantastic****** I have to admit!
Domenilu Vladoi Anca Maria Feteasca Neagra 2016, Dealul Dragasanilor – Romania
A quite oak indulged Feteasca Negara with outstandingly fluffy and silky attributes stuffed with baked plums, bramble, an extra scoop of cinnamon and an overall heartwarming embrace. Not really me – anyway, probably the best black maiden I ever had! Downright decent****
Slobodné Vinárstvo Oranzista 2019, Nitrian – Slovakia
A “classic“ natural with plenty of vibrating life and polarisation power! A lot of smoke, black pepper, woodruff, sherbet, sage, grapfruit, hints of coffee, mangosteen, honey, fresh cut twigs, sesame, flintiness ans some shy volatility. No sharp acid. No sauerkraut. Quite harmonius … in its own cacophonous way – certainly a decent**** expirience.
Škegro Krs Bijeli Zilavka 2021, Ljubuški – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Plenty of yellow pears, jasmine, crisp sorrel, cantaloupa and a vegetal notion which reminded me of wild paprika. Not to forget a hint of phenolic whipped cream. Just a nice and easy autochthonous refreshment – still decent****
Budimir Margus Margi Riesling 2008, West Morava-Zupa – Serbia
Very exclusive experience … nobody really cares a lot about! Unfortunately! What a spectacularly self-reliant interpretation of ultra dry and super spicy Riesling ... from Serbia! An amberish hue escorted by a vital nose of ginger, honey, roasted nuts, white flowers and well pronounced Cognac vibes. On the palate astoundingly salty, packed with spicy ginger, shy lemons, some honey and an intense and vital structure with gentle oxidativ Cognac vibes. Beautifully weird Riesling – love this fantastic****** style ... not everyone is going to be in favour of this old fashioned wine by an even older wintner I am afraid!
Winnica Dom Bliskowice J 18 Johanniter 2018, Annopol – Poland
Johanniter! In very decent***** ! What an impressive surprise … admittingly by a quite famous Polish wine star! Plenty of vital lemons inclusive their peels, juniper, chalky pebbles, petrol, burnt paper, hay, sherbet and even more hay! Super fresh and highly animating fungal resistant discovery from the very east of Poland ... which makes it even weirder!
Horst Hummel Cabernet Franc Nagytótfalu 2013, Villany – Hungary
Cow sweat at its best! A very convincing example for a rustic hill billy country life Cabernet Franc. Besides that some plenty of bitumen, foilage, rahter short and strongly influenced by run dry blueberries - have I ever mentioned that I despise blueberries in wine – quite simple, super rustique, still decent****
Stork Kangoun 2020, Ararat – Armenia
Elderberry, honeysuckle, strongly fruit
driven by white peaches and yellow apples, some nettle tea, some
white tea … with cream ... oh no. Quite easy going Kangoun based wine - perhaps a bit dull –
still decent****
Twins Wine Kakhuri Firuzi Rkatsiteli 2018, Napareuli – Georgia
Domenican cigarbox beyond good and
evil, plenty of salt, phenolic porn, slightly resinous, dried peaches
and tomatoes, acacia honey, roibos tea, ultra dry, very dense and
tense – fabulous and challenging at the same time – very decent***** ... I guess this style is sometimes just adorable, sometimes you know what ...
Stina Pošip 2020, Dalmatia – Croatia
Pošip straight out of Brac with plenty of spice, coolness power, lively lemon juice, salt and pepper, curry powder, a strong herbal infusion, elderberry, soft ice creaminess, complicated mugwort, white flowers aaand not totally dry, nevertheless quite complex – very decent*****
Fekete Pince Olaszrizling 2013, Somlói – Hungary
Again the a wine from Fekete's last vintage. A potpurri of anis, cantaloupe, fennel,
verbena, mild tangerines, white pepper and plenty of smoke enriched
with pebbles straight out of a mountain stream. This sums it up
pretty quickly and nicely – a very decent***** an austere mineralistic beauty. Welschriesling can be amazingly good ... can, not ...
Villa Melnik Keratusda 2020, Melnik – Bulgaria
A very quaffy and curious composition of white peaches, fresh green grass, cantaloup, good pasley, Bavarian creme and a shy trace of coconut milk – decent**** btw, Keratusda is the variety
The Icon Estate Kronos Pinot Noir 2014, Dealu Mare – Romania
Ranging from fresh cookie batter to
salted beetroot. Or from ripe dark red forest berries to spicy
juniper. Or even better from smelly cowshed to a sea of lovage. Every
mentioned aspect is represented in this Pinot. The last range from
rock sugar to crude earthiness might not be the most fun though –
still quite decent**** ... in a way ... if you are not highly sensitive to sugar. This was by far my biggest problem
Keltis Mario Natur 2020, Bizeljsko – Slovenia
Super crisp, quite juicy, vital, fresh,
very strong on the lemon side, very easy, super simple – not sure
what to make out of this – so-so*** … okay, so far I have not
understood the spledour of Pet Nats, this one wasn't able to alter my "perspective"
Weingut Schuh Meissener Klausenberg Goldriesling 2020, Sachsen – Germany
Pale with a nasal edginess inspired by
white flowers and detergents as well as tongue blessed with powdery
nutmegs and superficial lemons on cheesecake – kinda so-so*** ... a bit dull
Kakhuri Gvinis Marani Qvevri Saperavi 2018, Kakheti – Georgia
A super tinted Saperavi packed with
blueberries, bramble, medical cole, dark chocolate, breadcrust, black
olives, salty liquorice, some caramel, violets and a creamy glaze with
easy acid – a modernist without intellectual appeal - well all those
medals on the lable speak for themselves – definitely decent**** there are far more thrilling Saperavis on this planet though.
Milan Nestarec Podfuck 2018, Morava – Czech Republic
The notorious cuvée with a puzzeling name by wine Czechia's natural spiritus rector. The 2018 is a composition of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Gris. Amazing light colour with plenty of murkiness and brownish reflexes. In the nose floral raspberries, white pepper, dill, cucumber in very cool attire. On the palate very vital, very playful, very crisp, tons of pomgranate, some raspberries, tea, sellerie, dill, white pepper, cucumber peel with very fine tannins – very decent***** and not as polerizing as some of you might expect it to be.
Voskevaz Karasi Voskehat 2017, Ararat – Armenia
Another highly thrilling Armenian! This time made from Ararat's white-golden blood: Voskehat. Interestingly bright bleached hue of slightly oily substance. In the nose lime blossoms, almond blossoms, white peaches, chalk, Bavarian lemon creme and fine matchbox spice. Astoundingly convincing! On the palate quite creamy with a very cunning structure with plenty of salt, colves, flint, saffron and a fruity melange of lemons, pears and white peaches. Indecently enchanting I need to say! Somehow like magnificent Poulliy-Fuisse meets Persian saffron milk – in a way fantastic******
Keltis Zan 2020, Bizeljsko – Slovenia
A wild party mix of Zementovka, Kraljevina, Blaufränkisch, Merlot and Welschriesling. Perhaps a bit loud – very jazzy raspberry and red currat mixed yogurt, roses, vermouthy herbs supplemented by a vibrating acid – downright decent**** party potential
Domeniile Averesti Zghihara de Husi 2021, Husi – Romania
Bleached watery hue intermingeling with a shy nose of elderberries, not all to ripe yellow pears, some lemons, some apples – btw tongue is the same. A bit soapy, a bit pungent, a bit over polished and not completely dry either – so-so*** … have I mentioned Zghihara de Husi is the name of the grape which is rather common in the borderlands to Moldova.
Bikicki Sfera Noir Pinot Noir 2018, Fruska Gora – Serbia
Plenty of beefy meat, oranges zests, smoky BBQ sauce, dark cherries and boiled red currants. Unfortunately quite alcoholic and nervous - a not so becoming natural nervousness I fear. Quite stressing and heavily overseasond – not really me, still so-so***
Tavush TUS Lalvari 2018, Noyemberian – Armenia
100% Lalvari from Armenia's northern Tavush region – right in the shadow of Lalvar volcano. Fermanted and aged in Armenian oak for 18 months. Super pleasing package which is packed with fragrant white blossoms, ripe quince, very cunningly peeled hazelnuts, mild – very mild – caramel cream and some crispy woodruffness. Outstandingly unique wine with a very convincingly extra mild ouillé character – very decent*****
Vinas Mora Barbba 2020, Primosten – Croatia
Juicy, easy, quaffy in a very nimble manner. A lot of strawberries – overall super fruit forward – a bit of black pepper, some liquorice, even some grounded coffee – decent**** fun!
Winnica Wieliczka Pinot Noir 2020, Małopolska – Poland
Not my first Pinot from Poland!
Compared to the outstanding Riesling from Agnieszka Rousseau – it
is really the oenologist's name – this Pinot has some little
glitches. The dark cherry material appeared a bit very green and not
ripe to an extent I'd be in favour of (and I am actually much more
team: not fully ripe material, please). A lot of salt though - still from the top of a salt mine. A lot
of smoke, menthol, parsley - the not so nice one, liquorice and a bit of this and a bit of
that. On the second day a little bit more appealing an a bit more
willing to integrate - still so-so*** ... I will try another vintage!
Keush Origins NV Brut, Ararat – Armenia
A methode traditionelle sparkling wine made from Voskehat and Khatun cultivated on Europe's (depends on how you define Europe) highest vineyard (approx. 1750 m above seal level). Very lean body, quite flowery, mild pastries, shy yeastiness, pronounced lemons, overall very reduced and restrained character – hard to compare with other sparkling wines - decent****
Caii de la Letea Volumul II Feteasca Neagra 2019, Niculitel – Romania
Tinted sparkle with deep garnet looks and juvenile radiance. Nasally brutal blueberry marmelade paried with an obstrusive bramble infusion – pretty plumpy and not all to complex. Besides that some coffee, some chocolate and some black pepper. On the palate leaner with a certain tannin structure. Still a very solid mouth full of a big juicy and most of all infantile wine … with tons of Primitivo substitution potential – still so-so***
Shabo Sharmat White semi-dry Sparkling Wine, Odessa – Ukraine
A charmant composition made from Aligoté, Pinot Blanc, Riesling and autochtonotous Telticuruk. Sleepy mousse on citric sweet flavours surfing on a cardboard flat surfboard on the shores of the black sea! Sorry for that ... and sorry I could not lay my hands on a proper Ukrainian wine at the moment … for obvious reasons – kinda consumable** … if you are thirsty
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