Christian Miller (CMM)
Christian Miller
The Importers Vinos Unico and Blue Danube Wines were on hand at Solano Cellars a few days ago to pour 25 grapes youve never heard of. I have to admit, even this wine geek hadnt heard of some of them. A very entertaining tasting it was, the wines being mostly from Portugal (Vinos Unico) and from Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia (Blue Danube), plus a smattering of Spanish and Austrian.
Whites
Vinho Verde 2008, Trajarinho - minimal nose; light, tart, very fresh and simple. 50% Alvarinho and 50% Trajadura. Eh. *
Verdelho Lodi 2009, Urbanite Cellars- grapy nose with a hint of floral; medium body of some substance with decent acidity and a whisper of tannin or grapy texture. Includes 20% Viognier, 5% PG. ***
Maria Gomes Beiras 2009, Luis Pato - vague, fresh, but borderline flavorless. Maria Gomes is the grape. *
Getariako Txakolina 2008, Bodegas Talia Berri - tart, simple, slightly cidery, petillant, fresh and zesty. Not as good as Txakolina I had in Spain, but captures the fun of the local wine better than most others I have had here. **
Alentejo Reserva White Blend 2008, Herdade do Esporao - oaky nose with some ripe pear-apple fruit; medium-full body, decent acid, apply fresh fruit, toasty oak, quite Chardonnay like. 50% fermented and aged in French oak, blend of Antaoa Vaz, Roupeiro and Arinto. Not very interesting to those of us swimming in California Chardonnay and looking for something different in our Portuguese wines. But I can see the appeal for the home market, its really quite well done in its style. ***
Arinto Bairrada 2005, Compolargo - intriguing aroma with leafy, woodsy and piney notes, slightly Riesling like; medium-light body, nice acid, firm with slight wisp of tannin, buckwheat honey and pine touches in fairly long finish. Fascinating stuff. 100% Arinto. Spent 6 months in oak, but you wouldnt guess it. ****
Pinela Slovenia Vipava Valley 2007, Guerila - shy nose, fresh with nice structure and some grip but vague flavor. 100% Pinela grape. **
Kiralyleanyka Hungary Matra 2007, Szoke - lovely aromatic leafy-lime aroma, a little like Albarino; nice lively acid, juicy fruit, quite long. I found this quite charming and intriguing. Kiralyleanka is the grape - can you say it three times fast? ***+
Furmint Hungary Tokaj Dry 2008, Patricius - deep aroma and fruit flavor of a peachy-melon sort, moderate acid, mellow almost furry texture, full body, round and lush, finishes with a touch of ruby grapefruit, quite long. Similar appeal to Viognier, but less exotic and no alcohol spike. ***/****
Malvasia Croatia Istria 2008, Coronica - grapy-floral nose; slight herbal-sage tinge, decent acid, medium body, slightly bitter finish. **
Posip Croatia Island of Korcula 2007, Toreta - mild leafy-herbal nose; juicy fruit with zesty acid, herbal-grapy-bay leaf character. Kind of Vermentino like. Best Posip Ive ever had (OK, Ive had three). ***+
Reds
Portugieser Hungary Villany 2008, Attila Gere - aromatic with vanilla-spice tone; light, cherry fruit, slightly herbal and bitter, thins in finish. Nice nose, falls down on palate in a red hybrid sort of way. **
Kekfrankos Hungary Sopron 2007, Pfneiszl - grapy oxidised nose with interesting whole berry fruit emerging; medium-light body with persistent cherry fruit that adds decayed Pinot-ish tones and autumnal elements in long finish. Somehow manages to be fruity and young yet slightly decayed at the same time. Confusing yet charming. Kekfrankos is the grape. ***/****
St. Laurent Burgenland 2007, Juris - very Pinot nose with clovey-smoky aroma; light body, slightly bitter and tart. Supposedly a clone of PN, which I had not heard about St. Laurent but could certainly believe based on this wine. Some dry tannins. ***(*?)
Plavac Mali Croatia, Dalmatian Coast 2007, Dingac - smooth berry fruit, slightly baked, medium body, lowish acid, mellow and quaffable. Zins cousin, it shares some of the berry fruit but is more subdued and lighter bodied. **
Red Blend Croatia Riserva (red) 2007, Bibich - reduction gives way to wild grapy nose, sauvage in some undefinable way; Lagrein-like flavor, medium body, good acid, lively. Blend of Babich, Lasin, Plavina. Fairly wild and intriguing stuff. ***+
Baga Beiras 2007, Luis Pato - fruity, herbal, jolly but really light and simple. Eh. *
Mencia Bierzo 2006, Abad Dom Bueno - very dark, mild sweet fruit with blackberry tone; medium body, kind of in between Cab F and Syrah; more international in style than most of the other reds at this tasting; supposedly no SO2 added, if so they have done a damn good job keeping this wine clean. ***(*?)
Red Blend Alentejo Singularis 2006, Paulo Laureano - very fruity-berry aroma, juicy and jolly with a peppery somewhat short finish. Very quaffable. 80% Arogonez, 20% Trincadeira. ***
Red Blend Dao Reserva 2006, Quinta de Cabriz - deep ripe leafy sweet spice in aroma; medium deep sweet ripe fruit with pleasant herbal tone; nice soft yet grippy tannins with good length. Rich but refined wine of character. Grapes are the usual suspects for Dao. ****
And for dessert...
Tokaji Tokaj Aszu 3 puttonyos 2004, Red Lion - bronzy orange; deep rich botrytized fruit aroma; raisin-apricot fruit, fairly dense with decent acidity, nice long complex spice-raisin finish, no sign of volatility. Very well made. ****
Whites
Vinho Verde 2008, Trajarinho - minimal nose; light, tart, very fresh and simple. 50% Alvarinho and 50% Trajadura. Eh. *
Verdelho Lodi 2009, Urbanite Cellars- grapy nose with a hint of floral; medium body of some substance with decent acidity and a whisper of tannin or grapy texture. Includes 20% Viognier, 5% PG. ***
Maria Gomes Beiras 2009, Luis Pato - vague, fresh, but borderline flavorless. Maria Gomes is the grape. *
Getariako Txakolina 2008, Bodegas Talia Berri - tart, simple, slightly cidery, petillant, fresh and zesty. Not as good as Txakolina I had in Spain, but captures the fun of the local wine better than most others I have had here. **
Alentejo Reserva White Blend 2008, Herdade do Esporao - oaky nose with some ripe pear-apple fruit; medium-full body, decent acid, apply fresh fruit, toasty oak, quite Chardonnay like. 50% fermented and aged in French oak, blend of Antaoa Vaz, Roupeiro and Arinto. Not very interesting to those of us swimming in California Chardonnay and looking for something different in our Portuguese wines. But I can see the appeal for the home market, its really quite well done in its style. ***
Arinto Bairrada 2005, Compolargo - intriguing aroma with leafy, woodsy and piney notes, slightly Riesling like; medium-light body, nice acid, firm with slight wisp of tannin, buckwheat honey and pine touches in fairly long finish. Fascinating stuff. 100% Arinto. Spent 6 months in oak, but you wouldnt guess it. ****
Pinela Slovenia Vipava Valley 2007, Guerila - shy nose, fresh with nice structure and some grip but vague flavor. 100% Pinela grape. **
Kiralyleanyka Hungary Matra 2007, Szoke - lovely aromatic leafy-lime aroma, a little like Albarino; nice lively acid, juicy fruit, quite long. I found this quite charming and intriguing. Kiralyleanka is the grape - can you say it three times fast? ***+
Furmint Hungary Tokaj Dry 2008, Patricius - deep aroma and fruit flavor of a peachy-melon sort, moderate acid, mellow almost furry texture, full body, round and lush, finishes with a touch of ruby grapefruit, quite long. Similar appeal to Viognier, but less exotic and no alcohol spike. ***/****
Malvasia Croatia Istria 2008, Coronica - grapy-floral nose; slight herbal-sage tinge, decent acid, medium body, slightly bitter finish. **
Posip Croatia Island of Korcula 2007, Toreta - mild leafy-herbal nose; juicy fruit with zesty acid, herbal-grapy-bay leaf character. Kind of Vermentino like. Best Posip Ive ever had (OK, Ive had three). ***+
Reds
Portugieser Hungary Villany 2008, Attila Gere - aromatic with vanilla-spice tone; light, cherry fruit, slightly herbal and bitter, thins in finish. Nice nose, falls down on palate in a red hybrid sort of way. **
Kekfrankos Hungary Sopron 2007, Pfneiszl - grapy oxidised nose with interesting whole berry fruit emerging; medium-light body with persistent cherry fruit that adds decayed Pinot-ish tones and autumnal elements in long finish. Somehow manages to be fruity and young yet slightly decayed at the same time. Confusing yet charming. Kekfrankos is the grape. ***/****
St. Laurent Burgenland 2007, Juris - very Pinot nose with clovey-smoky aroma; light body, slightly bitter and tart. Supposedly a clone of PN, which I had not heard about St. Laurent but could certainly believe based on this wine. Some dry tannins. ***(*?)
Plavac Mali Croatia, Dalmatian Coast 2007, Dingac - smooth berry fruit, slightly baked, medium body, lowish acid, mellow and quaffable. Zins cousin, it shares some of the berry fruit but is more subdued and lighter bodied. **
Red Blend Croatia Riserva (red) 2007, Bibich - reduction gives way to wild grapy nose, sauvage in some undefinable way; Lagrein-like flavor, medium body, good acid, lively. Blend of Babich, Lasin, Plavina. Fairly wild and intriguing stuff. ***+
Baga Beiras 2007, Luis Pato - fruity, herbal, jolly but really light and simple. Eh. *
Mencia Bierzo 2006, Abad Dom Bueno - very dark, mild sweet fruit with blackberry tone; medium body, kind of in between Cab F and Syrah; more international in style than most of the other reds at this tasting; supposedly no SO2 added, if so they have done a damn good job keeping this wine clean. ***(*?)
Red Blend Alentejo Singularis 2006, Paulo Laureano - very fruity-berry aroma, juicy and jolly with a peppery somewhat short finish. Very quaffable. 80% Arogonez, 20% Trincadeira. ***
Red Blend Dao Reserva 2006, Quinta de Cabriz - deep ripe leafy sweet spice in aroma; medium deep sweet ripe fruit with pleasant herbal tone; nice soft yet grippy tannins with good length. Rich but refined wine of character. Grapes are the usual suspects for Dao. ****
And for dessert...
Tokaji Tokaj Aszu 3 puttonyos 2004, Red Lion - bronzy orange; deep rich botrytized fruit aroma; raisin-apricot fruit, fairly dense with decent acidity, nice long complex spice-raisin finish, no sign of volatility. Very well made. ****