It’s not often that you enjoy a 4,000 Euro bottle of wine.

Liber Pater is one of the most controversial and expensive Bordeaux red wines in the world. The winery is located in the Graves AOC, within the left bank of Bordeaux. Winemaker Loic Pasquet wanted to re-create the taste of Bordeaux before the aged of phylloxera in the late 1800s. He planted ungrafted vines and varieties that existed in Bordeaux in the 19th century. On top of that, he planted his vines at high density (over 20,000 plants per hectare).

Liber Pater is made in tiny quantities and on-release sells for around 4,000 Euros a bottle. On top of that, 2009 was a legendary vintage in Bordeaux. On paper, the Liber Pater 2009 should be something special. So what does it actually taste like?

We were given a bottle of Liber Pater as a gift, with one stipulation that we taste it blind. So when we carried it with us to visit a friend in Oradea, Romania he agreed to organize a blind tasting. As the evening approached, we wondered if the wine would stand out.

The Evening With Liber Pater

The evening started with two Champagnes, a Piper-Heidsieck Brut 2006 and a Piper-Heidsieck Millesimé Rare Brut 2002. The Brut was solid but didn’t get Charine too excited, while the Millesimeé Rare Brut 2002 is another story. It’s a fine Champagne that is still a baby and worthy of at least a few more decades of aging.

After Champagne, the blind tasting commenced. We had no prior knowledge of what wines would be included except the Liber Pater. Our host shuffled and selected randomly after covering the bottles. The wines tasted in order were:

• Giardini Arimei, Da Uve Surmature Dry Passito (wildcard from Ischia, Italy)
• Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia, Macán Classico 2013 (Rioja, Spain)
• Chateau Porto Carras 2008 (Meliton Slopes, Greece) 
• Liber Pater 2009 (Bordeaux, France)
• Crama Oprișor, Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (Oltenia, Romania)
• Heimann, Franciscus 2011 (Szekszárd, Hungary)
• Mapon, Kikone 2009 (Macedonia, Greece)
• Tenuta Carretta Cascina Fererro, Barolo 2008 (Barolo, Italy) 
• Fornaser Monte Faustino L’Amarone del Maestro Fornaser, Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico Riserva 2008 (Veneto, Italy) 
• Zenato, Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2008 (Veneto, Italy)
• J&J Ostrožović, Tokajský Výber 6 Putñovy 2003 (Tokaj, Slovakia) – not served blind

All of the wines showed well but we were most impressed with the following.

The Crama Oprișor Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 is one of the finest Romanian reds we’ve tasted. It’s from Oltenia, the southwestern part of the country. When it was unveiled, we had nothing but applause for it. The wine is full of plum, walnut, black cherry, and pepper. It shows lots of nuances for a big, ripe wine. Chocolatey finish with sweet tannins. The style is in between a left-bank Bordeau and a Napa AVA-level Cabernet Sauvignon.  92/100

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

The Château Porto Carras 2008 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and the local grape Limnio. It’s aged in oak for 24 months prior to bottling. This is a helluva wine, especially with the fact that the ex-cellar price is around 15 Euros. Notes of animal, meat, black fruit, and citrus peel with some olive and violet flavors. It’s complex with refined structure. The tannins are developed and are guided by juicy acidity. When it was revealed our friend said, “I visited this estate months ago and it wasn’t showing close to as well as now, it tastes like a 100 Euro wine.”

Wow, wow, wow, what a wine.   93/100

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

The Zenato Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2008 showed remarkable balance despite its high alcohol level of 16.5% abv. Notes of black cherry, sweet cedar, nutmeg, and tobacco emerge from the glass. It’s dense and big with chocolate flavors on the finish. The tannins are chewy and this still has a lot of life left in it. Time has served this bottle well.   94/100

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

The Liber Pater 2009 was shy at first but everyone immediately recognized that it was a high-quality wine. It was the wine that stirred up the most conversation. After an hour in the glass, it started singing. It lies more on the side of elegance as opposed muscle. This wine is much more accessible now than many of the high-end 2009 Bordeaux that we have come across.

The wine has notes of black fruit, violets, blueberry, and cedar. It’s tangy with firm tannins and a long juicy finish. The juiciness and elegance are what threw everyone off guard. Nobody guessed that it was nearly ten years old, it is still very youthful. Half of us loved it while others were lukewarm about it. Regardless, it was the most talked about wine during the evening along with the Chateau Porto Carras and Crama Oprișor.   94/100

Is it worth the price tag? It’s a beautiful wine, whether it is worth it or not is for you to decide.

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

You can find out more about our scoring system on the Wine Rating page.

The opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide. 

The post An Evening With The Liber Pater 2009 appeared first on Wine Travel.

Good news for Croatian wine lovers and wine enthusiasts residing in the USA. Wine & More, Croatia’s leading wine webshop, has just unveiled a mighty new limp. Adding to their EU-wide shipping, Wine & More has succeeded in making Croatian wines more accessible by introducing US home delivery.

 

If you decide to purchase wines, check out US shipping details, and uncover when you can expect so much-wanted Croatian wine at home!

 

“We worked hard to open sales channels in the US, and now, we can proudly announce that we can ship Croatian wines to the US,” said Dario Drmač, founder of Wine & More (Zagreb, Croatia).

 

The webshop will continue to expand the US selection and encourage readers to suggest which wines they’d like to see in the store. You can take a look at their full wine selection here.

Photo credit: wineandmore.com

We met Dario in the winter of 2016 and soon became good friends with him. Dario was instrumental in highlighting obscure and exciting wine producers to us during our research for Cracking Croatian Wine. So we have no doubt that he would do the same for his US customers!

 

As your enthusiastic advocates of Croatian wine, we tasted some wines in Wine & More’s US portfolio to create a buyer’s guide for you. What’s more?

Refreshing Croatian white wines

Kutjevo, Graševina Vrhunska

Photo credit: Kutjevo Winery, Graševina, wineandmore.com

 

The Kutjevo Winery, founded in 1232, is Croatia’s oldest winery known for producing highly sought-after white wines.

 

Type: A varietal wine made Croatia’s most popular wine grape, Graševina.
Alcohol: 13.5 %
Wine region: Slavonia and the Danube region
Tasting notes: Top-quality Graševina is the brand of the Kutjevo Winery. This wine has a fresh and harmonious citrus flavor, with hints of green apples and a strong minerality. Its long aftertaste reveals notes of chamomile. This wine is characterized by its balanced acidity, which adds a delightful juiciness to the overall taste.
Food pairing: Top-quality sea fish, smoked meat, roasted chicken or turkey meat
Price: $19.99
This wine is for you: If you’d like to try one of the most awarded, budget-friendly, top quality Graševina.

 

Meneghetti, Malvazija 

Photo credit: Menegheti Malvazija, wineandmore.com

 

Meneghetti Winery is widely considered one of the best producers of fresh Malvazija wine.

 

Type: A wine made from Croatia’s indigenous wine grape, Malvazija Istarska (pronounce: Mal-vahz-ee-yah Ih-star-skah), blended in small percentage with Chardonnay  and Pinot Blanc.
Alcohol: 13%
Wine region: Istria
Tasting notes: Mineral water, white peach, green apple, pear, honeydew melon, and with typical hints of acacia flower. A summery white wine with lime-accented acidity and slightly bitter finish. The Meneghetti Malvazija is a varietally accurate wine and a crowd-pleaser.
Food pairing: Pasta with creamy sauce, grilled squid
Price: $33.99
This wine is for you: If you like floral, fresh white wine or if you want to understand the sensory merits of Malvazija Istarska.

 

Stina, Pošip

Photo credit: Stina, Pošip, wineandmore.com

 

The Stina Winery has been making waves in the wine industry with its minimalistic labels, dramatically steep vineyards, and stellar wines.

 

Type: A varietal wine made from Croatia’s indigenous wine grape, Pošip.
Alcohol: 13%
Wine region: Dalmatia
Tasting notes:  This wine is full-bodied with ripe flavors and a rich, layered scent. It opens with dominant tropical fruit, peach, Mediterranean herbs, and vanilla aromas. Its balanced acidity adds a lovely juiciness to the wine. Perhaps the biggest charm of Stina’s Pošip is its structure and the broad expression on the mid-palate. It packs a bright, saline drive on the palate.
Food pairing: Prawn cocktail, shrimps, grilled white fish
Price: $39.99
This wine is for you: If you’d like to try one of the best examples of Pošip.

Korta Katarina, Pošip

Photo credit: Korta Katarina, Pošip, wineandmore.com

 

The Korta Katarina Winery, luxurious villa, and stunning vineyards are located on the Pelješac peninsula in Southern Croatia, offering stunning views of the Dalmatian Coast and the Adriatic Sea.

 

Type: A varietal wine made from Croatia’s indigenous wine grape, Pošip (pronounced: Poh-ship).
Alcohol: 14 %
Wine region: Dalmatia
Tasting notes: The Pošip wine has a lovely golden-greenish color that looks great in the glass. Its aroma is a mix of citrus, white stone fruits, and field flowers, with a strong intensity. It tastes full and delicious, with a subtle bitterness. This dry wine is very fresh and easy to drink.
Food pairing: Seafood dishes, particularly with shells and crabs.
Price: $39.99
This wine is for you: If you’re looking for a dry, extremely fresh and easy drinking wine.

Red, rad, and rare

Stina, Plavac Stipančić

Photo credit: Stina, Plavac Stipančić, wineandmore.com

 

A Plavac obtained from a single vineyard known for regularly producing high-quality grapes.

 

Type: A varietal wine made Croatia’s flagship grape, Plavac Mali (pronounce: Plah-vahts Mah-lee).
Alcohol: 14.5%
Wine region: Dalmatia
Tasting notes: Concentrated aromas of dark fruit and spice, with ripe tannins and surprising freshness. The wine has a long finish and represents the best of Stina and Croatian Plavac.
Food pairing: Beef, game meat, steak, mature cheese
Price: $89.99
This wine is for you: If you’d like to be wowed by the entry-level standard of Croatian red wine or if you want a value-for-money Plavac Mali wine.

 

Matuško, Dingač

Photo credit: Matuško, Dingač, wineandmore.com

 

Matuško Winery is best known for its stunning Dingač and Plavac Mali wines.

 

Type: A varietal wine of Plavac Mali
Alcohol: 14.5%
Wine region: Dalmatia
Tasting notes: A true Dingač’s flavor profile—black currant, raisin, vanilla, wild strawberries, and savory herbs. Dingač matured in oak barrels, creating a clear dark ruby red color with purple hues. It has a full, rounded flavor with a harmonious balance of astringency and sweetness. Hot tip: Decant this wine for at least two hours before consumption.
Food pairing: Beef stew, barbecued ribs, roasted pork belly
Price: $39.99
This wine is for you: If you’d like to have a quintessential experience of Dalmatian red wine or if you like big, tannic and warm-climate red wine.

Korta Katarina, Zinfandel

Photo credit: Korta Katarina, Zinfandel, wineandmore.com

 

 

 

Korta Katarina Winery produces an exceptional Croatian Zinfandel wine that has great aging potential. It is likely to continue to improve in quality over the years, making it a valuable addition to a true wine collector.

 

Type: A varietal wine of Zinfandel, known as Crljenak Kaštelanski (pronounced: Tserl-yee-ehnak Kashh-tell-ann-skee), Tribidrag, and Pribidrag in Croatia. Learn more about the story of “the original Zinfandel” in this article.
Alcohol: 14.5%
Wine region: Dalmatia
Tasting notes: This ruby-colored wine is both beautiful and elegant. The wine is lively and rich, with high concentrations, and pleasantly accentuated acids. It has a rich, full-bodied taste with a firm structure, an abundance of cherry sweetness at the finish, and a hint of dark chocolate. After opening, the wine develops wonderful forest notes of sour black bitter oak, crumpled blueberry bush leaves, and forest soil. It has a long duration, a perfect balance between maturity and freshness, and an intense retro taste of cherry jam.
Food pairing: Roasted meat, steak, spicy food, ripe cheese.
Price: $69.99
This wine is for you: If you’re a wine enthusiast who can’t wait to check off yet another esoteric grape on your to-drink list.

The dependable cuvées

Delusional Wine Cuvée

Photo credit: Delusional, Cuvée, wineandmore.com

 

Mike Pulley’s friends thought he was delusional when he left his corporate career in London to start a boutique winery on the Dalmatian coast. However, his decision to become a winemaker in Dalmatia is far from delusional.

 

Type: A red wine blend of Babic (60%), Plavac Mali (30%), and Zinfandel (10%), also known as Crljenik Kastelanski.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Wine region: Dalmatia
Tasting notes: When grown to an extremely low yield, these grape varietals produce a wine with concentrated flavors of dark cherry, herbs, and stone. The wine also presents a dark cherry, herb, and stone aroma.Bright and juicy with good acidic strength.
Food pairing: Steak, barbecue sausages, grilled vegetables, lasagna, hard cheese.
Price: $39.99
This wine is for you: If you’re craving a red wine with soul to remind you to slow down.

Meneghetti, Red

Photo credit: Meneghetti, Red, wineandmore.com

 

In search of elegance to the last detail, taste some of the Meneghetti Winery wines. If you get the chance, visit their famed wine hotel, part of the Relais & Chateaux network, known for its high-quality accommodations and culinary experiences. 

 

Type: A red wine blend, Merlot (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%), Cabernet Franc (5%)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Wine region: Istria
Tasting notes: The nose of this wine is filled with the delightful scent of raspberries and currants, complemented by spicy hints of vanilla, smoke, coffee, and cinnamon. It has a lively and fruity taste, with a soft and complex texture, and a mineral aftertaste. The fine tannins give it a pleasantly long finish.
Food pairing: Roast beef, game meat, hard cheese
Price: $99.99
This wine is for you: If you’re looking for a ready-to-drink, structured Bordeaux-style blend that tastes quite like an actual Bordeaux wine.

The post Buyer’s Guide: Croatian Wines in the USA appeared first on Wine Travel.

The first time we came across wines from Villány was in Zagreb, Croatia. During the Vinart Grand Tasting, we attended a masterclass in Villány’s Cabernet Franc. The wines were of outstanding quality, and they piqued our interest immediately. Six months after that tasting, we had the opportunity to travel to the Villány wine region and visit several producers.

Villányi Franc

The producers of Villány have done a fantastic job in branding the region. There is an emphasis on sites and many top bottlings of the Villány wine region are labeled with vineyard names. Villány has been identified as a prime area for Cabernet Franc. Don’t expect the green, violet, and capsicum notes of Loire. The Cabernet Franc from Villány is ripe with higher alcohol but the wines still resemble the grape. Cabernet Franc can make big wine on its own here without the aid of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The best examples of Cabernet Franc are labeled as Villányi Franc. Adding the “i” to the end of Villany indicates possession, so Villányi Franc means Franc from Villány.

Other grapes grown in the Villány wine region include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah along with the local grapes Kadarka and Portugieser. Besides the Bordeaux varieties, Syrah seems to be doing well here. While the staple of the region is Villányi Franc, we found the most exciting wines to be Bordeaux blends.

The Villány wine region is not great for white grapes because of the heat during the growing season. Nearly all the white wines are of significantly lower quality than the reds. Many producers make a white simply because customers ask for it, but it’s obvious that there isn’t as much effort put into making white as the red wine.

Thoughts on the Villány Wine Region

We spent three days in Villány. During that short trip, we were able to taste over 50 wines from five different producers. You can see our thoughts on the wines in the video below (~10 minutes).

Exotic Wine Travel’s Picks:

(You can find out more about our scoring system on the START HERE page.)

• Tiffán’s Villányi Merlot 2013

Mr. Tiffán is one of the pioneers of the quality revolution in Villány. His wines are delicious and show artisanal character. The Tiffán’s Villányi Merlot spends two years in big barrels. The wine has plum, black cherry, pencil lead, and earthy notes. It’s a medium-bodied and juicy Merlot that isn’t too overripe. Chocolate spice finish and firm, chewy tannins.   4.2/5

• Tiffán’s Lucia 2011

Tiffán’s Lucia is a Bordeaux blend named after Mr. Tiffán’s daughter. It’s a blend of Merlot (62%), Cabernet Sauvignon (28%), and Cabernet Franc (10%) aged for two years in large oak. Meat, black cherry, tomato, and graphite make up the flavor profile. The wine has a luscious nose accompanied by a round palate. The mid-palate intensity is great and the finish is long.   4.2/5

• Tiffán’s Carissimae 2013

We were deeply impressed with the Tiffán’s Carissimae. It’s a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (80%) and Cabernet Franc (20%) aged for two years in large oak. Chocolate, dark fruit, pencil lead, and cedar. Laser-sharp focus on the palate with Bordeaux-like earthiness and juicy acidity. The tannins are powerful and need a lot of time to soften. This is a serious wine.   4.5/5

• Bock PortaGéza Rosé 2017

Bock is one of the biggest brands in the Villány wine region. The Bock PortaGéza Rosé is made from Portugieser. Light pink in color and flavors of banana and watermelon. The finish has some spice and nice intensity. A small amount of CO2 is added to give the wine extra freshness.   3.9/5

• Bock Ermitage 2013

This isn’t Bock’s best wine but they get a lot of credit for making an excellent entry-level red wine. The Bock Ermitage is the top red seller from this estate. It’s a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Kékfrankos, Pinot Noir, and Portugieser.  It has flavors of wood, graphite, blackberry, and cherry. Medium-bodied red wine with high acidity and a spicy finish. Refreshing with a low level of tannins and has a high delicious factor. Very good wood integration.   3.9/5

• Bock Villányi Libra 2011

The Bock Villaányi Libra is one of the reserve wines from the estate. A blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Merlot aged two years in mostly French oak. Great nose of black olive, cedar, red fruit, and meat with power in the mid-palate and sandy tannins. Long finish and juicy acidity.   4.4/5

• Vylyan Gombás 2009

Vylyan is the ancient name for Villány. This is a big player in the region and they focus on making wines with freshness and elegance. The Vylyan Gombás is made entirely from Pinot Noir. Leather, red fruit, vanilla, and savory broth flavors emerge from the glass. Intense nose and the mouthfeel is creamy and intense. The wine has a subtly powerful finish with sweet, sandy tannins. Well-made, well-executed, and delicious, it’s the best Villány’s Pinot Noir we’ve tasted.   4.3/5

• Vylyan Deunnium 2011

The Vylyan Deunnium is the magnum opus from the estate. It’s a blend of 87% Cabernet Franc and 13% Merlot aged 15 months in Hungarian barriques, French barriques, and large Hungarian casks. This is made with top selection fruit and is blended from the best barrels. Outstanding nose with graphite, black olive, black cherry, and earth. It’s a full-bodied wine with lots of fruit but an equal amount of earth and black olive. The tannins are sweet and the wine has a long finish. This has the stuffing to go the distance in the bottle.   4.5/5

• Vylyan Deunnium 2006

As good as the 2011 is, the Vylyan Deunnium 2006 knocked our socks off. This wine was one of the best wines we tasted in 2017.

It’s a blend of 79% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 15 months in Hungarian barriques, French barriques, and large Hungarian casks. It’s rich with flavors of black olive paste, leather, mushroom, and tobacco leaf. Concentrated fruit with a great balance of acidity and tannins. It’s denser and more harmonious at this point than the 2011. This is nice now but will be drinking well for a few more years. Masterful winemaking.   4.8/5

• Heumann Terra Tartaro 2011

Mr. Heumann is of Swiss descent and produces richly extracted wines. The Heumann Terra Tartaro is his top wine aged 15-18 months in oak. It’s a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Flavors of capsicum, black cherry, graphite, and wood. A full-bodied wine, and while the wood is heavy, the fruit is powerful enough. Intense mid and end palate with firm tannins. Juicy acidity stretches out the long finish.   4.4/5

• Gere Attila Villány Syrah

Gere Attila is possibly the most famous name in the Villány wine region. Their Kopar Cuvée is well-known and of good quality year in and year out. We were impressed with the Kopar but the Gere Attila Villány Syrah surprised us. It has chocolate, blueberry, blackberry, and pepper flavors with a touch of wood. A full-bodied Syrah with ripe tannins, a smooth palate, and good wood integration.  This would be great with food or without.   4.2/5

• Gere Attila ‘Attila’ Cuvée 2009

This is the top wine from the winery. The Gere Attila Attila Cuvée is a barrel selection of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon aged in French and Hungarian oak. This is rich, hedonistic, and delicious. Stick this in a blind tasting of top Bordeaux and you could trick a lot of people. The wine has flavors of sweet tobacco, black fruit, graphite, and sweet cedar. The tannins are still firm suggesting this wine has a lot of life ahead of it.   4.5/5

• Wassmann Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Wassmann is a Demeter-certified winery owned by a German couple. The Wassman Cabernet Sauvignon is an impressive effort for a cool and rainy vintage. This medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon shows high drinkability with tannins that are under control. Flavors include chocolate, black cherry, graphite, and earth.   4.0/5

You May Also Enjoy

• Kikelet Furmint Birtokbor 2014
• Video: Hungarian Wines from Eger

Special thanks to Piroska Koltai of Wine a’More Travel and Daniel Ercsey of WineSofa for setting us up for the visits and arranging accommodation. Additional thanks to Tiffan’s Winery and Bock Winery for hosting us. The ideas expressed in this article are personal opinions. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers.

The post The Best of Villány Wine Region appeared first on Wine Travel.

When we made our seven-week trip through Turkey in the summer of 2015, we were green in the wine industry. What made the situation more challenging was the lack of online information about Turkish wine. The Turkish laws forbad advertising for alcoholic beverages, which included advertising on online domains. None of the Turkish wineries’ websites worked once we were in Turkey. One time we attempted to load a website of a winery, an odd and what seemed like a customised 404 error page appeared: there was a glass and some text in Turkish; the page was a dead end and the site was not navigable beyond that point. When we asked our guesthouse owner to translate the writing, he looked puzzled and said, “Our website is empty but the glasses will keep flowing.” We took a screenshot of the error page; you can see it below.

Back then, our focus was on the birthplace of wine and indigenous grapes, and because of that, we decided to skip the ‘internationalised’ and ‘touristic’ wine region of Thrace entirely and travel further south. That was a mistake. There are a handful of not only indigenous but also ancient wine grapes cultivated in the region, along with many high-quality wineries that are making vinous magic. One of the eminent producers there is Chamlija (pronounce: chahm-lee-zjah).

Book Trailer: Uncorking the Caucasus – Wines from Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia

Chamlija Winery (Thrace, Turkey)

Mustafa Camlica is the founder of Chamlija Winery and his daughter, Irem Camlica, is the designer of the psychedelic wine labels. The vineyards of Chamlija are on the Strandja Massif, with the Thrace basin to the south, Istanbul to the east, and the Black Sea to the north. This area of Thrace is near Bulgaria and experiences a continental climate but with temperature-moderating influences from the Black Sea, which is about 30 kilometers away. The soils consist of decomposed granite and limestone. Currently, the annual production at Chamlija is around 100,000 bottles, and the grapes are sourced from 85 hectares of certified sustainable estate vineyards. Many of the vines are young, so the vineyards are not producing at full capacity yet.

Chamlija’s Wines

A few months ago, we were invited by Hurol Emre Candan of Amarone D.O.O to taste Chamlija’s wines. Amarone DOO is a Turkish wine importer in Belgrade, Serbia, and Hurol is enthusiastically partial to Chamlija. He knew we had not tried Chamlija’s wines and offered to organize a private tasting for us at Vinoteka Beograd, which happened to be our favorite wine shop in Belgrade.

We tasted five wines that evening. All the wines performed above our expectations. What stood out to us the most was the healthy fruit. All the wines showed phenomenal phenolic ripeness. The wines tasted concentrated—a level of concentration that reminded us of Santa Barbara’s wines. A kind of sweetness without heaviness or residual sugar. Power without sloppiness. Ripeness with good acidity. There was no sign of green tannins and no sense of heavy-handed extraction. All the wines had intense aromas and vibrant flavors on the palate that lived up to the impressions set on the nose.

Watch: Turkish Wine by Chamlija Winery

Chamlija Wine Tasting

(You can find out more about our scoring system on the START HERE page.)

• Chamlija Narince 2014

When in Turkey, Narince (pronounce nah-reen-jeh) wines were always a default ‘safe’ choice for us. One whiff of this wine evokes many fond memories of our trip. The Chamlija Narince is made from grapes grown on decomposed granite. Two things about this wine’s flavor profile stand out to us immediately: citrus and mineral. The wine has an incredibly smooth and round mouthfeel with notes of slate, lime, orange, pine, green herbs, and nectarine.

Use this wine to impress your wine geeks friends.   3.8/5 

• Chamlija Quartz Fumé 2015

The Chamlija Quartz Fumé is 100% Sauvignon Blanc matured in French oak for 10 months.

This is called Quartz Fumé for good reason. It does smell like quartz, along with aromas of freshly baked vanilla cake, fresh green herbs, sweet citrus, apricot, peach, orange peel, and fish oil. The bouquet is distinct and reminds us of being in an orchard. Just beautiful aromas that you can imagine coming from a burning aromatherapy candle. The few days of cold maceration really shows in this wine; the good thing is that the palate follows up strongly with ripe fruit flavors supported by a firm acidic spine. The finish is zesty and spicy.

Offer this wine to that friend who says, “I don’t like Sauvignon Blanc.”   4.0/5

• Chamlija Papaskarasi 2015

Wine geek alert: Papaskarasi is an ancient variety that is indigenous to Thrace and has suspected DNA links to Prokupac, Kardarka, and Alba Imputotato.

The Chamlija Papaskarasi is a blend of 85% Papaskarasi and 15% of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. 15% of the grapes underwent whole-bunch fermentation in open-top vessels. The result is a low-alcohol (12% ABV), light red wine that shows notes of sour cherry, rhubarb, brown spice, white pepper, Mediterranean herbs, and violet. On the palate, it’s surprising tart and the spiciness lingers.

* Note: We weren’t particularly fond of this wine initially. But after 30 minutes of aeration, it became a charmer.

Drink it with some hard cheese.   4.0/5

• Chamlija Cabernet Franc 2014

For our palates, finding good varietal Cabernet Franc wines outside Loire (France) or Villány (Hungary) can be a challenge. This wine gets extra brownie points for being aligned with our preferences.

The Chamlija Cabernet Franc delivers flavors of sweet cherry, green capsicum, pencil shaving, and rose, plus a touch of earthy, soil-like note. It has a beautifully round and smooth mouthfeel with a good amount of density and lightly grippy tannins that hit the end-palate. We’re particularly impressed with the structure and persistent finish.

Share this with your winemaker-friends.   4.2/5

• Chamlija Thracian 2013

This is one of the top-tier wine in Chamlija’s portfolio. A blend of 47% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc, the Chamlija Thracian 2013 was aged for 20 months in French oak (80% new oak).

The bouquet expresses notes of ripe plum, blackcurrant, black cherry, black pepper, leather, and cigar box. The broad shoulders are supported by lushness on the palate. Quite an opulent wine with round tannins and a long finish. The Merlot really shows its strength in this wine. The oak still needs more time to settle down, but the fruit is standing up well to it even right now.

Have it as a nightcap.   4.0/5

What’s Next

After the tasting, we caught up with Mustafa Camlica on Facebook Messenger. He shared that, together with Bosphorus University, he is working on a program that aims to select “the best natural yeast derived from Strandja terroir”. We were thrilled to receive the update and look forward to tasting more Chamlija wines.

************

Learn More About Turkish Wines

To learn more about the wines of Turkey, check out Uncorking the Caucasus. 
To purchase Uncorking the Caucasus: Wines from Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia,
please go to our Amazon page.

“Everyone who loves wine deserves to know its history.  This book offers amazing details of the cradle of modern wine and will inspire you to drink (and travel) outside the box.”

Madeline Puckette, ‎Co-Founder and Content Director, Wine Folly

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Chamlija: Wines of the Black Sea appeared first on Wine Travel.

Third time’s the charm; the proverb rings true in this case. I first tasted the Doja Prokupac at Vinodonia Skopje Wine Salon in November 2016 and a second time at Salon Vina Kragujevac in April 2017. It wasn’t until a month ago, when I finally had the pleasure of enjoying a whole bottle with Matt and Mileta Popovic (our friend who runs the website Serbian Wine Guide), that I finally felt an affinity for this wine.

With imploding enthusiasm, I made a post on Instagram and Facebook about this vinous seducer. The post caught the attention of Vinarija Doja, and Milica from the team invited us to a tasting of the entire portfolio. It was a treat to finally meet the brains and hands behind this relatively new winery.  2014 was the first vintage of Doja, with the release of Doja Belo and Doja Rose. The first vintage of Doja Prokupac was 2015.

It seems timely that I’m finally putting the tasting notes together in an article as Doja Prokupac 2015 has just been crowned “Best Indigenous Red Variety” at The Balkans International Wine Competition (BIWC) 2017.

Vinarija Doja (Winery Doja) in Toplica, Serbia

The Doja’s winery and vineyards are near the Prokuplje town, in Serbia’s Toplica wine-growing region. The total estate size is 60 hectares and 40 percent is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Prokupac, Shiraz, and Tamjanika. The current annual production is 100,000 bottles. All the wines are made from estate grapes that are hand-harvested from south-facing vineyards, planted between 400-500 meters above sea level. The vineyards are surrounded by mountains on all sides.

The management and winemaking team come with experience. The proprietor Goran Todić has been in the wine-importing business for decades. His wife, Slavica Todić, is a Head of Department of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade. The oenologist is Dr. Marko Malićanin, a PhD in chemistry and biochemistry.

Vinarija Doja’s Wines

Photo Credit: Doja Winery

Vinarija Doja Belo 2015

The Vinarija Doja Belo 2015 is a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Grigio. The Serbian white wine production is dominated by varietal wines of Tamjanika and Chardonnay, so a blend of this sort definitely catches my attention immediately. Fermentation was done in Inox (50% of the Chardonnay was in the barrels) and left on the lees for three months. This medium-bodied white wine is round on the palate with refreshing acidity. The flavors are of ripe peach, lemon, yogurt, and mineral.

Verdict: The combination of its mineral backbone, white-fleshed fruit flavor, and popping acidity transports me back to the white wine wonderland of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The Doja Belo 2015 is such a crowd-pleaser that you can feel confident about bringing it to a family gathering of non-wine-drinking relatives or an afternoon barbecue with your wine geek friends.

Vinarija Doja Rose 2015

The Vinarija Doja Rose 2015 is made from 100% Prokupac grapes. If you enjoy a bigger-bodied, savory-style rosé with deep color and modest acidity, then this is for you. An oxymoron but true to its taste, this wine possesses mature freshness. It has just a bit of residual sugar that lends the body some weight and roundness. The flavors are of red berries, earth, and the quintessential peppery spice of Prokupac. A gentle tug from the tannin offers muscle to the structure and end-palate.

Verdict: A carpe diem rosé! I was up alone one night and finished the entire bottle all by myself. This rosé feels closer to sunset than sunrise and more appropriate for dinner than brunch. Just don’t insult it by taking it to the pool.

Vinarija Doja Prokupac 2015

This is the wine that won the regional title of “Best Indigenous Red Variety” at BIWC 2017.

Fermented in Inox, then aged in the barrels for eight months. This wine has settled down and grown up healthily since the first and second time I tasted it. The oaky-doaky is gone. The aggressive cherryade and vanilla flavors have faded. With just the slightest boost (~10%) from Syrah and Merlot, this Prokupac wine exhibits a comparatively big frame. Floral accent on the nose, mostly of dried rose petal and violet. Stunning front loading of cherry flavor; hints of spice and grass on the mid-palate; and a tart finish supported by gently chewy tannins. A fruit-forward wine yet with enough white pepper, clove, and sweet spice notes to even out the taste. This is a more modern interpretation of Prokupac; it isn’t as spicy and earthy as those from the Župa wine region but delicious when taken on its own merits.

Verdict: This reminds me of an entry-level Californian Pinot Noir (and not without a touch of Petite Sirah or Syrah) that has undergone whole-cluster fermentation. It’s neither a sit-under-the-linden-tree-and-introspect kind of wine nor one that demands meticulous examination. But if given the chance to make a first impression as the representative of Serbian red wine, this would impress many drinkers and win a handful of brand ambassadors. I’ll be sure to take a sip or ten of this wine every time I’m in Serbia.

Get to Know Prokupac

Prokupac is an indigenous red wine grape of Serbia. It produces wine with medium body, high acidity, and flavors of red fruit and pepper spice. I often find the well-made Prokupac wine to be redolent of a mix of Gamay and Blaufränkisch. Regardless, Prokupac has its own unique set of sensory attributes and these comparisons are only useful as a nascent framework for those who have not had the opportunity to taste it. To learn more about Prokupac, you can take a look at these two articles that Matt wrote: Serbian Prokupac: Eight Wines to Try and Prokupac from South-Central Serbia.

 
Updates:

Exotic Wine Trave’s Prokupac Harvest 2017 with Vinarija Doja

In October 2017, we were invited to join the Doja team at their Prokupac harvest. Besides the expected learning outcomes and the fun of post-harvest celebration, what was truly valuable to us was getting to know the people at Vinarija Doja on a personal level. That day, we learned about Goran’s aspiration to stimulate economic growth and create jobs for the people living in his village of birth. We observed the joy in his eyes as he pointed at the places that held memories of his childhood. We saw a small plot of bush vines that he revived for no better reason than nostalgic attachment. We had a glimpse of his vision and his inclusive leadership style.

Often, it seems easier for us wine lovers to fall in love with the romantic ideas of farmers who have their hands in the soil than to connect with a trader who is profit-driven but simultaneously committed to social responsibility. I believe socialism, environmentalism, and capitalism do not have to be mutually exclusive, and there is always a middle ground or sweet spot that we can achieve. Vinarija Doja and the team that Goran has nurtured seemed rightly placed at a vantage point to progress further and in a sustainable manner.

During our visit, we also tasted some new bottlings. I’ve added the tasting notes below.
 

Vinarija Doja Belo 2016

Compared to Vinarija Doja Belo 2015, this shows significantly more high-toned and sweeter aromas. On the palate, the fruit notes are fleshier and more ripe than 2015’s. The mineral backbone and refreshing acidity are as good as the previous year. Overall, the quality level is consistent with 2015, but it’s youthfully edgy right now. I’d give this wine at least a few more months to stretch out.

 

Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot 2016

Slated for release in early 2018, we tasted this pre-blended. So Matt and I decided to do some blending experiments. He preferred a blend with more Cabernet Sauvignon than Merlot, while I preferred the opposite.

Both wines show good varietal characteristics. The Cabernet Sauvignon has a delineated and pliable structure, with soft and chalky tannins. The Merlot offers sufficient lushness on the palate with a rather pronounced acidic strength and tanginess. There are no rough edges, but I think the final blend can benefit from more cling and more dimensions. It would, in fact, be interesting to move away from the typical Bordeaux style and have a bit of Syrah added for the extra oomph. The Bordeaux-style blends in Serbia tend to be lithe, which allows for early consumption. I would love to see a blend that’s more brooding and intense in character.

The finest selection of

Serbian wines

available at:

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Wines Available in the USA.

************

    Do you want to try Serbian wines?    

If you’re looking to savor the exquisite flavor of Serbian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With an abundance of options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

************

Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

You May Also Enjoy:
Matalj Kremen Kamen: A Vertical Tasting
Serbian Grand Cru on the Slopes of Danube

Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in this article are personal opinions and are not associated with any sponsors or business promotions.

The post Vinarija Doja: Serbia’s New Vinous Star appeared first on Wine Travel.

Welcome to As Drunk By Exotic Wine Travel, a weekly column where we feature wines that are worthy of your attention. The wine reviews featured in this series may be written by either one or the both of us. The featured wines can be from obscure or more well-known wine regions. Sit back, grab a glass, and discover new and exciting wines with us!

Bibich Debit 2015

€10.99 | EU-wide, UK and US Delivery | Shop Here

In the Spring of 2015, we had a memorable tasting lunch in Plastovo, Croatia. Plastovo is a tiny village just north of Split. The village is home to one of the most famous winemakers in all of Croatia, Mr. Alen Bibić. We targeted the winery as a high priority in preparation for our upcoming Croatian wine guide.

Prior to our visit, we had seen Bibich wines in America. In fact, over half of the winery’s production is exported to the USA. That wasn’t the real reason we made a lunch appointment though. What compelled us to pay the winery a visit was a scene in an episode of the now discontinued No Reservations.

In the episode about Coastal Croatia, Anthony Bourdain is enamored by the food and wine at Bibich winery. At the end of the episode, he stands up and having drunk too much wine, falls over and passes out.

Would we suffer the same fate as Anthony Bourdain during our visit?

We entered the winery and opted to sit outside. It was the perfect weather with a fresh breeze coming in. Plastovo is at about 200 meters in elevation and the Adriatic Sea is 10 kilometers away. This aids in creating a great climate for viticulture.

Bibich winery does a tasting lunch and dinner during the tourist season. Alen’s wife Vesna is a trained chef. The food is molecular cuisine and is designed to enhance the quality of the wine. We’ve been to many wine-pairing dinners in the past but this one was distinctly different. “The food is prepared for the wine, to make the wine taste better,” Alen told us.

 

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 27, 2017 at 5:56pm PDT

Charine was skeptical at first as she isn’t a big fan of molecular cuisine. As the plates rolled in one after another (you can scroll through the dishes in the Instagram post above), there was no denying it. Every dish had subtly intense flavors that enhanced the wine. Textures and flavor combinations are something that must be deliberately thought out for the tasting meals at Bibich.

The winery was very gracious at the tasting lunch. It was scheduled to be five courses but ended up being nine courses and 13 wines. We got a chance to sample a few of Alen’s small production wines including the Bibich Bas de Bas Crno  and Bibch Aleph. Bibich Bas de Bas Crno is a rich, single-vineyard wine made from Syrah and Merlot. The Aleph is an excellent Bordeaux blend made in good years with a hefty price tag to boot.

After the tasting lunch, we stepped into the tasting room. Alen opened up a few wines that we didn’t taste during lunch, including his La Sin. It’s one of the few varietal wines in Croatia made from the Lasina grape.

The lunch and tasting stretched out over three and a half hours. In other words, we sampled a ton of wine. We did make it out in better shape than Anthony Bourdain though.

The wines that left the deepest impression on me were the ones made from the grape Debit. They aren’t Bibich’s finest wines but are unique and full of character. Debit is a Croatian grape. Folklore says that peasants paid off soldiers with wines made of Debit during the Napoleonic Wars.

Alen specializes in Debit and is one of only a handful of producers working with it. In fact, it’s the wine that he himself drinks the most of. Alen makes several different versions of Debit including a sparkling wine, a single-vineyard version, an amber wine, and this entry-level offering.

This wine is pure fun. It is full of tangerine, flint, and caramel flavors. The acidity is crisp and the wine has a grapefruit finish. Its clean flavors are a perfect complement to seafood. I still don’t understand why more producers don’t work with this grape. With the warm weather and abundance of seafood on the Croatia coast, wines like this seem like a no-brainer. 

4.1/5 (You can find out more about our scoring system on the START HERE page.)

 

A post shared by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Apr 27, 2017 at 6:14pm PDT

I’m ecstatic that we made it through the tasting lunch alive as you can see.

You May Also Enjoy

The finest selection of

Croatian wines

available at:

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Croatian Wines Available in the USA.

************

    Do you want to try Croatian wines?    

If you’re looking to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With an abundance of options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

************

Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

Disclosure:
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase the items via the links we provide.

The post Bibich Debit 2015 appeared first on Wine Travel.

Hello, thirsty readers. It’s the time of the year again. Round-up, conclusion, evaluation, assessment, goal setting… what a load that only wine can make it lighter and better! Let’s make WINE great again.

We’ve been traveling full-time for wine for nearly two years now, but 2016 is particularly significant because it marks our first official year in the wine industry. In 2016, we visited the wine regions of Armenia, Baja California (Mexico), Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Santa Barbara County (California, USA), Serbia, and Virginia (USA). With all the travel, work, dinner parties, and self-study, this year we’ve tasted around 3,000 wines in total. That’s a lot to recall for two ethanol-soaked brains.

But what has to be done has to be done: the veritable internet-breaking listicle. This year, in addition to the hundreds of excellent exotic wines, we’ve also managed to cross out a few bucket-list wines from the illustrious part of the wine world. As advocates for diversity in wine and the lesser-known wine regions, we hope our list reveals the ever-expanding variety available to consumers today. With wines from eight countries and across different styles—from the classic Old World red to the defiant amber wine—this list is nowhere close to being comprehensive but yet should appease every palate: from the refined to the adventurous.

Ultimately, this is our way of paying homage to the wines we enjoy drinking the most this year. The choices are not affected by the speculation of ageabilitiy, the reality of price, or the limiting availability. The choices are also subjective; there’s no Dawkin-esque, rational notion of truth or big-data mathematics here. Most importantly, the wines are chosen for their sensory merits. In some cases, the stories matter as well.  However, the common denominator they all share is the unique memory each wine evokes. Every wine on this list is a time machine in which we can be transported back and recall the experience of the wine and the people whom we shared the bottle with.

Exotic Wine Travel’s Best Wines of 2016

Here are our top 16 wines of 2016. The wines are listed in chronological order based on when we tasted them, starting with the beginning of 2016. We’ve deliberately left out the scores, rankings, and detailed tasting notes in order to focus on the underlying enjoyment of wine.

THE CLASSIC

• Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage, 2002 (Rhone, France)

One of the finest wines we’ve ever tasted. We drank this at a Michelin-starred French restaurant in Singapore called Odette. It was Charine’s birthday gift from our dear friend, also called Matt. We were a party of four and all of us spent a significant amount of time just smelling this wine.

To Matt, it is Syrah at its finest. To Charine and her food-motivated brain, it is herbal chicken & mushroom soup in a bottle.

This family-owned domaine is one of the finest and oldest estates on the Hermitage hill in Northern Rhône. The first generation of vine growers in the family can be traced back to sometime around 1480. In the movie Somm: Into The Bottle, Jean-Louis Chave was the cool guy who opened a bottle of 1969 Ermitage, which was made by his grandfather.

If you are a Syrah lover, put this on your list of wine goals now!

 “When it comes to Hermitage, there is one name that most aficionados utter with a sense of reverence: Chave.” –  Jeb Dunnuck

 

• Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Échézeaux, 1997 (Cote de Nuits, France)

It was Charine’s homecoming in Singapore where she was treated to a special bottle from her wine collector-friend’s stash: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, typically abbreviated to DRC, is the holy grail of Burgundy reds. In 1988, DRC switched to organic farming in the vineyards. With the 2008 vintage and onwards, the wines are fully biodynamic.

The bottle was left to decant as the night continued with many well-aged French wines. After many hours of aeration, the DRC shed its shy countenance and developed into a full-fledged powerhouse. The consensus favorite of the night was this wine, with a Margaux 1982 (below) coming in a close second.

Charine calls this “the life-ruining wine” because one can never look at Pinot Noir with the same lens again after tasting this.

“Not all pinot noirs are constructed to express their terroirs, and, indeed, not all terroirs have anything of interest to say.” – Eric Asimov

• Chateau Margaux, 1982 (Bordeaux, France)

As mentioned, this was tasted next to the DRC Échézeaux 1997. This appeared to be more intense and present than the DRC at first, with its smokey edge on the nose and ever-evolving flavors. Charine spent more time smelling this wine than drinking it; not that it didn’t taste good but the aroma was telling the story of Margaux’s long pedigree.

If decadence has a smell, then this is it.

• Domaine Dujac, Chambolle-Musigny, 2004 (Cote de Nuits, France)

This wine arrived a tad late in the night for a full, honest appreciation. Nevertheless, it was tasted side by side with a Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue Chambolle-Musigny 1999 and the Dujac was the one that shook Charine out of her stupor. Succumbing to further indulgence and collective enthusiasm, an order for tuna belly sashimi was put forth.

Fat always has a way around wine—either it brings out a certain elusive trait in a wine or in this case, it harmonizes the interplay between feisty and funky.

• Chateau d’Yquem, 1986 (Sauternes, France)

Neither of us is partial to sweet wine but this is Charine’s favorite wine of all time. Liquid gold in a bottle! To her, this is chocolate & coffee, bacon & cabbage, potato & onion, and perfection of all forms. It seems fitting to dedicate this wine to a pair or sort that seems to partake in a higher order of compatibility. We reckon it’s the same deal as saying you’d never date that neighbor of yours based on what you assume to be typically “your kind”, or not. And then one day you realize that this neighbor is as magical as the work of Picasso in your bedroom or Big Green Egg in your lawn.

CULT WINES FROM SERBIA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, AND CROATIA

•  Matalj, Kremen Kamen, 2011 (Negotin, Serbia)

This is through and through a cult wine and the most difficult wine to get in Serbia’s frenzied domestic market. The winery is located in the isolated far east of the country. The production of this cru wine is 5,000 bottles in good years. It is a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Merlot.

We drove all the way out to meet this producer, and as it turned out, he didn’t have a single bottled wine left in the cellar. Now, that is real demand and popularity. The owner and winemaker, Nikola Mladenovic Matalj, was very kind to let us taste samples of the new vintages from the tanks and barrels. Afterward, he took us to a local restaurant where he bought back his own wines so that we could try them. Unfortunately, the restaurant too had run out of this magnum opus. A few days later when we arrived in Belgrade (the capital city of Serbia), our friend Zoran met us with a bottle of this beast in hand. He had serendipitously found a bottle of Matalj Kremen Kamen 2011 as it was left forgotten on the top shelf of a wine bar. The latest vintage of this wine available on the market was 2012 at that time. So we really did score big time with this bottle.

This wine has a tireless end palate. An evocative combination of strength, elegance, and playfulness. Our friend Daniel Curovic, who is importing Croatian wine to Sweden, puts it well, “I tasted the Kremen Kamen, and it might be the finest wine coming out of the entire Balkan area.”

We would confidently bring this wine to serious Napa Cab or Bordeaux drinkers and have them taste it blind.

Read – Matalj Kremen Kamen: A Vertical Tasting

• Brkić, Mjesećar, Žilavka, 2013 (Western Herzegovina, Bosnia-Herzegovina)

We visited this boutique producer and were lucky that time was on our side. He makes only one barrel of this wine in good years.

This wine is so unusual and refreshing. It starts out tasting like an archetypal amber wine with flavors of nuts, dried apricot, and dried peach. Then, the oxidative style completely vanishes and the wine becomes perfectly crisp. The acidity is pronounced and shows up buoyantly with citrus flavors. A sensory experience that is ready to dazzle any bored palate.

Read – Brkić Plava Greda 2015 and Brkić Limousine 2007

This wine by Brkić is called Mjesečar, which means “moonwalker”. Made from an indigenous grape called Žilavka, it is a biodynanamic wine that was fermented, aged sur lie, and left for 9 months on the skins in Bosnian oak barrel. No added sulfite and bottled without filtration. The label design aptly represents how this wine is made–in accordance to the lunar calendar.

A video posted by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on May 25, 2016 at 5:50pm PDT

“Mjeseċąr feels pure and fresh to the end.” – Simon Woolf

• Clai, Ottocento Crni, 2013 (Istria, Croatia)

This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Teran, and Refošk. We first heard about this producer on Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library TV. The proprietor Giorgio Clai is considered by many to be “the godfather of Istria”. We visited the winery with our wine-loving Croatian friend; when he drank this wine for the first time, he said, “Fucking Clai, I don’t want to spend so much money on wine. But this is so good, I want it all the time.”

We’ve drunk three more bottles of this wine since our winery visit, and each new bottle managed to emerge like a victorious new variety clone—always enchanting and surprising. And somewhat always better than the previous bottle; that’s a huge feat.

Read – Cracking Croatian Wine: A Visitor-Friendly Guide

• Jonata, Fenix, 2007 (Santa Barbara, California USA)

Jonata shares ownership with its cooler, fancier cousin: Screaming Eagle of Napa. We got to taste this wine during our “Sideways” Santa Barbara pilgrimage at a hip wine bar downtown called Santa Barbara Wine Collective.

A blend of 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot; this was dense, ripe, and incredibly structured. Charine, being a scornful taster towards most big and ripe wine, was utterly confused by the wholeness of this. She kept sniffing and drinking, yet could find no fault or unhappiness in this wine. In the end, she decided to divorce her critical side and proclaim this wine as one of her favorites of all time.

Read – Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail: Highlights & Tips

• Brewer-Clifton, Acin, 2013 (Santa Barbara, California USA)

The trip through Santa Barbara Wine Country was a fulfilling one, both for the mind and palate. Matt was checking off all the places that appeared in Sideways in the most loyal fanboy manner. All of the wineries were so impressive that it took painful concentration to mark the wines. That said, the tasting at Brewer-Clifton was the top wine experience in Santa Barbara County for both of us. All 10 wines that we got to taste were spectacular. We could understand why Antonio Galloni was impressed.

This Chardonnay stands out the most because it’s oily and tastes gently oxidative. An immediate, boundary-pushing attitude is erected. It is whole-cluster pressed and aged in neutral barrels for 12 to 18 months. Somewhat a cross between a Mâconnais—with starfruit and ripe melon and gentler oak influence—and a breed of its own unique kind, this is a deviant with a wacky vision.

The partnership between Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton started more than 20 years ago when they pioneered single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines in Santa Rita Hills. The duo split up in 2015 and Steve Clifton now owns a different winery while Greg Brewer continues to take the helm at Brewer-Clifton.

Read – Brewer-Clifton: Combining Expertise, Gravitas, and Nature

• Chateau Camou, El Gran Vino Tinto, 1997 (Baja, Mexico)

Chatea Camou was one of the first in Baja Mexico to kickstart the boutique, high-quality wine movement.

This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc grapes harvested from the desert part of Baja; but don’t let that fool you, there is a lot of wine being made there.

1997 is widely considered to be a stellar vintage in Mexico. We tasted a number of stunning wines from that vintage and this one came out on top—narrowly above a Cavas Valmar’s Cabernet Sauvignon. This was the first of many outstanding Mexican wines we tasted during our two and half month stay in Mexico’s most prominent wine region. For this particular wine and vintage, it was made by Dr Victor Torres-Alegre, who received his doctorate in enology from the University of Bordeaux, and with the assistance of Michel Rolland. Both Dr Torres-Alegre and Michel Rolland have moved on from Chateau Camou.

GOING BACK TO THE CAUCASUS

• Okro’s Wine, Rkatsiteli, 2010 (Kakheti, Georgia)

We tasted this on a press trip through Georgia with journalists from all over Europe. This wine was aged for three years in the qvevri (buried terracotta vessels). Just as we were about to sample this wine, a huge storm rolled in and knocked out the electricity. The wine was eventually drunk under the candlelight and everybody in the press group was awestruck by this sensory treat. Incredibly clean, full of earthy notes, and firmly structured. A wine so outspoken and so distant from its other well-mannered, generic cousins.

Shout-out to our dear friend John Wurdeman from Pheasant’s Tears for introducing us to this life-defining wine!

Read – Uncorking the Caucasus: Wines from Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia

• Lagvinari, Goruli Mtsvane, 2015 (Kartli, Georgia)

Goruli Mtsvane means “green from Gori,” and Gori is a city in south-central Georgia. A late-ripening grape that oxidizes easily, only a few winemakers make wine from this rare variety.

Eko Glonti, the owner and winemaker at Lagvinari, is a heart surgeon, turned geologist, turned winemaker. The first time we drank this wine, we were at his home with classical jazz music playing in the background. The second time we drank this was with a group consisting of an Australian winemaker, a sommelier, and a Master of Wine. After the first sip, the Australian winemaker said, “This is fucking sexy.”

This is a qvevri amber wine with high-toned aromas of peach, lime, apricot, wildflower, pine, and nut. On the palate, the weighty body is reminiscent of a light red wine.

Hunting down a Goruli Mtsvane wine can be challenging but also incredibly rewarding.

Read – 2015 Lagvinari Wine from Georgia

• Zorah, Yeraz 2013 (Vayots Dzor, Armenia)

We drank this wine from a cask sample at the beautiful Zorah cellar. The winery is situated in a vast, open space 1,200 meters in altitude and may be the most beautiful wine estate we have ever seen. Zorah is famous for its flagship wine, the Zorah Karasi. The Yeraz is their cru wine, named after the owner’s wife. The word Yeraz also means “hope/dream” in Armenian.

This wine is made from the indigenous variety called Areni, with grapes harvested from ultra-centennial bush vines that are planted at 1,600 meters above sea level. It is fermented with natural yeast and partially aged in amphora. The vines of Areni are ungrafted as they’ve never been affected by phylloxera. By dint of the location and elevation, vineyard management is relatively natural with minimal intervention. The Zorah Yeraz 2013 brings a whole new canon of exquisiteness that demands a quiet mind to understand. Reticent at first and requires some coaxing, it is ethereally gentle—like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you might miss with a blink. This is a wine that can challenge many Burgundy Grand Crus.

If you’ve tasted the Zorah Yeraz 2012: the 2013 is a celestial kin to its first-born sibling; at least that’s how they are showing right now.

Read – Zorah Wines: Depicting Armenia’s Ancient Wisdom

A trip of any kind in Armenia is never complete without a taste of Zorah wine. Here’s a quick capture of Zorah winery, inside and out. For more detailed notes on Zorah and Armenian wines, check out our book; link in bio. #UncorkingTheCaucasus

A video posted by Exotic Wine Travel (@exoticwinetravel) on Oct 11, 2016 at 10:16am PDT

“Yeraz has a lovely ethereal nose and fine, elegant, pure lingering flavour, it’s like a blend of cru Burgundy mixed with top Sangiovese in character but with its own distinctive hints of spice and crushed raspberry.” – Caroline Gilby

FINISHING 2016 IN CROATIA

• Roxanich, Antica, 2009 (Istria, Croatia)

Made with organic Istrian Malvasia grapes that went through spontaneous fermentation, 60-day maceration, 3-year aging in big oak cask, and another year or so in the bottle, this is the brainchild of a bonafide natural winemaker. This is an unfiltered, amber Malvazija (the Croatian name for Malvasia) wine that we got to enjoy while doing a podcast with our Croatian wine importer friend Daniel (mentioned above). We flipped our lid drinking this.

This is an amber wine that can handhold many conventional wine drinkers to the orange side. Imagine an amber wine so expectedly jam-packed with flavors of cinnamon, sliced almond, dried apricot, dried fig, forest floor, and a touch of savory spice. And then it hits the palate with welcoming juiciness and stern acidity. Balance, intensity, length, and complexity are all checked. The tannins are noticeable yet discreet as it goes shoulder-to-shoulder with the dominant notes of clementine orange and ginger powder, backed by still alive yet subtle secondary, toasty flavor. This is currently holding a spot on our “top 10 amber wine” list.

Read – 15 Amber Wines (Orange Wines) to Try in Croatia

• Tomac, Amphora Pjenušac Brut, 2010 (Plešivica, Croatia)

A winery located just outside the capital city of Zagreb, Tomac is the de facto name for sparkling wine in Croatia. Allegedly, Tomac is the world’s first producer to make a méthode traditionelle sparkling wine with amphora. His first vintage of amphora sparkling wine was in the 2000s. Today, the influence of Tomac and the beauty of amphora sparkling have spread all over Champagne as several renowned grower Champagne houses begin to take inspiration from him.

Right on the same day when the latest issue of Decanter magazine was released and in which this wine was listed under “75 Stellar Buys of 2016”, we visited Tomac and he took us through all of his wines. Decanter magazine describes this wine as a bit rustic, with strong and almost burnt caramel and orange aromas and nuances of autumn fruits with vivid acidity. We agree and also notice some notes of lemon rind, brioche, pleasantly oxidative tone, and a drying finish. It is only lightly effervescent but has a wonderfully tiny bubble structure.

Read – Tomac Winery: Leading the Charge in Croatia

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Exotic Wine Travel’s 16 Wines of 2016 appeared first on Wine Travel.

How can an American wine be exotic? Besides New York state, can great wine, or even cult wine, be made on the East Coast? One winery says that it can be done and has been building up good press over the last few years. The Washington Post published an article in 2015 where the author drank a Virginia wine next to a 2011 Screaming Eagle, and the Virginia wine stacked up pretty well.

Charine and I just got back from our breakneck trip through Ex-Yugoslavia. The day after we landed in Michigan, we got into a car and drove to Washington DC to attend a tasting of Armenian wines at the Smithsonian Institute. Since we were in the area, I wanted to see two old friends Kevin and Meggen from graduate school who now reside in Virginia. Being so close to the vineyards, it made sense to wander into the Virginia wine region. It was evident that the locals are so proud of their wine scene. They constantly reminded us that they are the fifth-ranked wine-producing state in the USA.

We tasted a boatload of Virginian wines over a few days. A very small number of good wines and a lot of below average  wines, plus two or three excellent wines. A lot of the wines had too much residual sugar and I felt like I could almost taste the humidity of the growing season in the wines.

Our last appointment was with the “Cult Wine” producer of Virginia: RdV Vineyards. The winery sits on an impressive estate on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains and has a southern (USA Southern) plantation kind of feel to it. They produce three wines: a right bank Bordeaux blend named “Rendezvous”, a left bank blend named “Lost Mountain”, and a less expensive blend of the leftover juice from the previous two named “Friends and Family.” A tasting there must be scheduled and is priced at USD 50. I figured if the tasting was that much, we might as well skip it and just purchase a bottle to see how it develops.

We showed up and since two groups of tasting were going on, they let us sit down and poured us samples from a few vintages to try before we purchase the wine. We tasted the Rendezvous and Lost Mountain from 2010, 2011, and 2012. We ended up buying our favorite of the bunch.

Virginia’s Cult Wine: RdV Vineyards Lost Mountain 2012

46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot

This winery is going for exclusivity with the RdV Rendezvous priced at 75 USD and the RdV Lost Mountain at 95 USD in the cellar. While we didn’t love all the vintages, there was no doubt that they were all well-made wines. The 2012 RdV Lost Mountain was softer than the RdV Rendezvous from the same vintage. The nose is shy but the palate is a fantastic blend of red fruit, namely cherry, with some forest berry notes mixed in. There are some capsicum, earth and graphite characteristics present. The wine has a rich texture, high acidity and powerful tannins. All signs point to the aging potential of this wine. We later found out Jancis Robinson scored this vintage 17.5/20.

We will hold our bottle for three to five more years before opening it. While not cheap, it really is an interesting and good wine. It definitely does not taste like a fruit-forward Californian Cabernet blend, neither an earthy Bordeaux—although it leans more towards the latter. Have you tried this cult wine?

Related Articles
The Washington Post: Is a wine that costs four digits worth it? There’s only one way to find out.
Check out this video where we tasted another Virginian wine, Early Mountain Novum 2013.

Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in this article are personal opinions and are not associated with any sponsors or business promotions.
 

The post Cult Wine from… Virginia? appeared first on Wine Travel.