Wine tasting in restaurant IMES on 18 June 2008
1. VARDAR VALLEY Winery
Chardonnay 2005
Only a moderate colour reflecting rather sauvignon. Fresh seductive green apple and tropical citrus influenced fruit on the nose. Rounded, sweet and full on entry. Big, rich, and flavoursome on the palate with sweet green apple, crisp lemony citrus, zesty passion fruit creamed with a touch of honey. Very low acidity and creamy texture. Sweet, soft finish. Very pleasing I must say
Chardonnay 2007
Same style but younger much more vibrant version of the 2005. Intense, ripe, sappy, crisp and fresh. On the palate it is quite lifted, very good fleshy structure, fairly firm acids behind this nicely composed substance. A lot of character. Nicely put together. The good stuff…
Merlot 2004
From the high plateaus of the Tikves area. An elegant yet spicy peppery candy jammy fruit-laden nose. On the palate, richly textured and smoky liquorice cherry, red berry, forest fruit is backed by firm, dry yet integrated tannins. Packed with delightful fruit, with some spice and pepper it all comes together in good harmony. Though some acidity at the end. Excellent value.
Cabernet 2004
An appealing dark red hue to this wine. The nose walks you through the forest of delicious, spicy, liquorice, smoky, all kinds of dark berry fruits and some well integrated undergrowth. The palate is round and soft with perfect integration of the spice rich dark forest fruit derived flavours. Sweetness to the fruit, and the same backbone of ripe tannins is present. Well textured.
Vranec 2004
Robust deep red dark wine with purple edges. A generous oozing nose of rich sweet dark spicy forest fruits. The palate is similarly packed with those succulent blackberry, blueberry, plum fruits. Some slight alcohol coming out but this offering has delicious weight and texture. Firm integrated tannins and some moderate acidity which persists through to the finish. Very nice…
Cabernet 2007 – Not commercialised yet
Wow Holy Mother of God what is this? This black and syrupy essence sticks like glue to my glass. There are some beautiful, lively aromatics here. This Monsignor has a mind baffling ripe exuberance that expressive sings from the glass. Sumptuous concentrated cassis, bleu and blackberry crumble and thankfully sappy sweet dark cherries. Full, eminent port like palate. Very powerful and complete with again lots of sweet meaty dark cherries and jammy dark berries. To tasty to spit out. With extended aeration this wine really comes together into a seamless integration of tannins, fruit and acidity, which leads into a more impressive, savoury length. Quite strong in the alcohol feel though, after checking 16%. This is a very stylish wine, and is indicative of the quality coming from the Vardar Valley Winery and more of the sunny Macedonian wines with its renaissance in recent years. Simply fabulous, extraordinarily impressive. Triple Kudos
2. DUDIN Winery
Sauvignon 2005
Beautiful light brilliant lemony greenish in colour. This has a powerful exotic rather sweet green apple, grassy citrus gagey purity, with just a little creamy richness. It has an appealing style, with a touch of fatness, and a rather soft mid-palate. It is rounded but fresh, with a soft and subtle backbone of acidity. Nice minerally depth and finish though. Good style. Bravo
Chardonnay 2004
Light golden greenish in colour. Gorgeous, tropical fruit influenced nose, with some typical chardonnay banana mango white pear fruit. Sumptuous round attractive palate, with good acidity underpinning stacks of rich citrus orange zest fruit. Characterful with a touch of creamy fatness and fresh, vibrant soft acidity. Another very seductive offering of this reliable label. Jummy…
Cabernet Rosé 2006
The simply gorgeous orange-tinged pink of a autumn sunset. Fresh red berry and raspberry fruit perfumes. Lovely and impressive weight on entry, quite rich and mouth filling, yet dry and structured, with fresh, round acidity. More red berry summer flavours with a discrete caramel touch at the end. A fresh, clean sappy finish. Without doubt a great rosé. Don’t miss it.
Merlot 2004
This wine has an attractive dark and glossy hue. There is nice open dark forest fruit on the nose. What dominates on the palate however is attractive luscious dark cherry fruit with a liquorice peppery note. In terms of style it is quite dry with a gentle and elegant composition. This really has a lot of appeal, and it seems to translate the sun quality of the vintage very effectively.
Cabernet 2004
Rather textbook cabernet on the nose, showing attractively perfumed cassis fruit toned up by freshly crushed green peppers. The same comes through on the palate. Rich and well defined. Fleshy, warm and spicy firming up a little later on. Broad tannic structure through the mid-palate with a lovely dry character and appealing ripe cassis fruit definition. Good potential here.
Akrato Barrique 2005
Wine was finished before I had the change to taste it. Sorry…
3. VEKOVNIK Winery - KUMANOVO
Traminec 2007
Wow…Rarely seen almost light pinkish nacre coloured wine. Full, expressive powerful floral sweet rose petal perfumed nose infused with a touch of almonds. This youthful concentrated full and creamy essence hits the palate with a super rich rose petal lychee-almond mix. Oily on the end-palate with lovely dry length. Sufficient acidity well balanced although still lower than you might expect. For the amateur of a good gewürztraminer d'Alsace. Very impressive… Kudos
Cabernet 2005
Dark and attractive fruit here, with concentrated jammy cassis, dark cherries and the typical green crushed peppers in the nose. Impressive generous dark fruited palate, good flesh and sweet fruit, a good balance, and a nice texture over the tannins. Ripe, pervasive, but nicely poised. Good harmony and integration. Huge enjoyment. This has very good potential indeed.
4. SOPOT Winery – Chateau SOPOT
Rhein Riesling 2007
Another wine of fine character here, a bright and greenish tingled colour. This is quite dry, crisp, fresh, pure and minerally on the nose, lifted by an appealing perfume of white flours, ripe sweet pears, apricots, peaches and gooseberries. On the palate it offers an intense melding of the similar elements with great finesse. It has a clean fleshy minerally substance and freshness. Plenty of punch here.
Chardonnay 2004
A bright golden colour, tinged with green, typical for this grape. Good, fresh citrus and tropical melon, white pear, banana and coco’s fruit with a hint of cinnamon. Initially refreshing, unctuous with nice lemony acidity rounded out by the exotic juicy white fruits through the mid-palate. Firmly assembled structure. A pleasing, fresh, sappy, juicy wine which shall appeal to many. Great offering. Grab it…
Cabernet Rosé 2007
A lovely fine dark pink onionskin colour. Elegant and stylish nose with lighter aromas of cabernet and raspberry fruit topped by some orange notes. Clean, with good acidity, and a nice limpid crisp presence on the palate. Very fresh and well defined raspberry perfume and tangerine character. Through the mid-palate it develops a little creamy richness, whilst still displaying the delicious vibrant red fruit acidity that makes this such good drinking on a hot summer day. Oh boy…just lovely.
5. KABRANOV Winery
Negotinska
As previously said I’m not much of a liquor drinker but I couldn’t resist tasting the basic Negotinska grape brandy after having their Negotinska 2005 and Negotinska Gold 2004 last May. Back than I didn’t showed much interest in their basic product. Beautiful lighter burnished orange golden in colour this 43% strong Smederevska made brandy tears like cream in the glass and has a soft nose of young French Cognac. No trace of burning vapours in my sensitive nostrils. Slightly smoky on the palate glazed with fine hazelnut, touch of honey and some discrete mocha. Good balance between softness, acidity and bitterness. Magnificent quality product made by a top quality producing distiller. Be sure to check it out…
By Willy Buysse |
