WINE TASTING IN RESTAURANT IMES
31 JANUARY 2008
1. PLODOMAK WINERY
Smederevka 2007
An attractive very pale lemon-green colour, suggesting a citrus fragrant dry wine which certainly shows through on the nose, which offers up aromas of plenty of green apple, citrus fruits all around and crisp minerals. The palate is fresh, crisp, with a straight zippy character. Good acidity. Certainly well worth’s its price.
Rakaciteli 2007
This has the same pale, lemon-green hue as the Smederevka. A really characteristic nose follows, very lemony, with again plenty of green apples and a touch of green grass. The palate starts off with an attractive well rounded overall sort of lemon-cream effect. Followed by a lot of citrus like crunchy green apples and wild gooseberries up to slightly sour character finish related to the firm acidity. Very pretty…
Riesling 2007
A very pale, lemon yellow wine with a typical green tinge. The nose packed with defined aroma of juicy limes and apples stays closed even after massive swirling of the glass. Classic lime flavour on entry, but through the midpalate there is more of a pear and stone fruit profile with a delicious, mineral, steely yet floral character. Clean and fresh persisting through to the endpalate. Delicious stuff.
Special White 2007
This wine is remarkably pale, almost crystal clear, with just that tinge of green. Predominantly soft white flowers on the nose but then more richness becomes evident with freshly cut lime and a chalky-minerally undercurrent. Appealing fleshy roundness on entry and yet quiet acidic on the midpalate. Firm minerally citrus like fruits are stretching across the palate with plenty of pineapple and grapefruit. An unexpected rawness scratches the finish but still absolutely lovely.
The wines tasted of the Plodomak Winery are all modern made. Fresh clean and crisp to accompany fish, white meat dishes and long hot summer evenings on the terrace. Price champions……
2. JOSTELA WINERY
Rosé 2006
A ripe and vibrant Alsace’s pinot noir like rosé colour. The nose here is just amazing, pure, well defined and fresh with little nuances of blackcurrant and crushed green peppercorns. This can only be Cabernet. Silkiness on entry with lots of wonderfully vibrant rasp- and strawberry flavours. In character very reminiscent of wines from other great terroirs mainly the Languedoc in my experience. Really very good indeed.
Merlot 2006
This offering is brilliant red in colour and shows gorgeous thick tears after swirling the glass. A very fine nose here, showing some lovely, strawberry fruit, laced with a cherry-cranberry freshness. It has big layers of strawberry, plummy peppery fruits with good acidity and moderately firm grip of tannin in the midpalate. Pleasing enough I would say…
Cabernet 2006
This dark brilliant ruby purple coloured wine has delicious forceful concentrated ripe dark forest fruits on the nose. Seemingly quite deep with a fresh full blackberry, cassis, blackcurrant candy like fruit palate. Spicy, rounded, firm and some very nice liquorice peppery tannins on the finish. Nicely balanced. An attractive package…
Vranec 2005
A traditional solid deep dark inky Vranec colour with purple edges. A vibrant, open, expressive nose, of plums, raspberries and red berry fruit jam. Fresh with great depth. The palate has a rather dry, reserved character, firm with expressive acidity that dominates a bit the seductive gorgeous fleshy red berry/red currant fruits. To me it seems quiet tannic today but nevertheless the substance necessary to counterbalance is present. I found it difficult to access….Built to last?
The wines tasted of the Jostela winery are all traditionally classic though modern made. Fresh clean and fruit driven wines with good potential to age. Well designed very nice looking labels and more… pretty price/quality.
3. MOJSOFF WINERY
Traminec 2005
For this two year old white a fairly classy medium golden colour. The nose gives a real 'wow', with a platter of Gewurztraminer aromas of sweet lychees, mango and marzipan smothered in fresh honey. Lovely varietal character. Immediately luscious round on entry. Rich, pure and well balanced flavours of creamy liquorish ripe lychee and white pear, mango fruit leading into a dry spicy creamy and rose-petal edged finish. This is delicious…no time to lose.
LifeVranec 2006
Vranec…Do I need to repeat? Again a solid deep dark inky wine with purple edges. Hola… Stop the presses!!! There are some deliciously lively aromatics here, this wine possessing a classy, stylish, slightly toasty vanilla, cherry, black currant nose. On the palate it is very elegantly composed with the nose coming true with plenty of utterly ripe meaty dark cherries, dark forest fruits, fine rounded vanilla oak and some leafy undergrowth. The fruit is wrapped around a core of delightfully ripe tannins. A lot of stuffing for the cellar at this price …Magic.
The wines tasted of the Mojsoff winery are traditionally made and are fine, classy, intense and distinguished in style. For the price of 200 MKD unbeatable.
4. VENEC WINERY
Merlot 2007
Rich in purple colour. A very sweet and outgoing character on the nose here with fresh cranberry and plum fruit. On the palate plenty of ripeness and quite generous fleshy flavours of red currant plumy fruit extract, with freshness, minerality and some alcohol in the finish. A lovely tannic core, firm and light. Sappy style and good drinking….
Cabernet 2007
Dense well concentrated almost black colour. Very deep, pure, fresh and very ripe. A wealth of attractive sweet toast vanilla scented dark red fruits and black plumps drive the palate towards an edge of freshly crushed green paprika. Soft roasted tannins and some grip on the finish too. Excellent indeed even impressive…. at this price.
Vranec 2007
Superb deep coloured Vranec. Rich extraction perfumed with vital peppery spicy roast herbs and sweet dark and red currant, plumy fruits. Nice sappy Vranec with rich red fruit, good substance and weight, ripe well covered tannins and a delicious, balanced style. Although with a little bit of rawness in the finish that will soften with age. Good fortune to taste…
Sweet Kartosija 2007
A fun, but serious dense dark purple coloured wine that paints the glass completely purple after swirling. The incredible oily textured dark forest fruit flavoured wine literally explode on the palate giving you an awesomely concentrated, sweet, rich and ripe dark red fruit experience. Still fermenting it still sparkles a bit giving of an abundant yeasty taste, which I could imaging a lot of people don’t like. But feisty swirling of the glass helps and with his huge port like unctuous velvety texture this wine has Banzai potential. Great stuff…for no money.
Due to lack of time I didn’t had the change to taste the Chardonnay and dry Kartosija of this wonderful winery. My apologies, but I will make them next week, after I return from leave. Anyway the wines tasted of the Venec winery are traditionally classic though modern made with good aging potential. The price quality is more then OK.
Willy
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