Saina Nieminen
Saina Nieminen
Čotar Malvazia 2003 c.30; 12,9% abv; organic; not clarified or filtered
This is one the few 2003s from Europe that I have enjoyed. But that is an understatement: I think I am in love with this wine. There is a wine bar in Helsinki where this is served by the glass and I almost always order it. So when the chance arose, I bought a couple bottles to try at home with dinner. I imagined that it could stand up to some pretty heavy abuse from food, so I had my secret love of kimchi for a starter - and amazingly the wine stood up to it. For main, I had a piece of Arctic Char with some roots that I had prepared in the oven with some herbs and a very slight touch of honey. It is a combination of pure, bright, fresh fishiness (Arctic Char is one of my favourite fishes) with a touch of sweetness from the roots which I think is a rather attractive combination but one where the sweetness easily overwhelms the brightness. The Čotar brought a very nice and earthy third voice to the counterpoint - though perhaps the counterpoint isn't on the level of Bach or Cristbal de Morales.
Cloudy, light orange colour. It looks quite dramatic, but the wine is fantastic. The scent started out with oxidative apple smells but strangely became less so with time: deep and earthy, richly aromatic with floral and orange aromas, citrussy and mineral with some steel also. There are no scents that would suggest the heat of the year or the Turkish delight-sweetness that sometimes this grape can have. Dry, full bodied, quite tannic, moderate acidity (better than I expected from the year), very long, mineral and refreshing. Like so many "natural" wines, this is an exceptionally energetic and lively wine despite the full body. Very moreish. Lovely.
This is one the few 2003s from Europe that I have enjoyed. But that is an understatement: I think I am in love with this wine. There is a wine bar in Helsinki where this is served by the glass and I almost always order it. So when the chance arose, I bought a couple bottles to try at home with dinner. I imagined that it could stand up to some pretty heavy abuse from food, so I had my secret love of kimchi for a starter - and amazingly the wine stood up to it. For main, I had a piece of Arctic Char with some roots that I had prepared in the oven with some herbs and a very slight touch of honey. It is a combination of pure, bright, fresh fishiness (Arctic Char is one of my favourite fishes) with a touch of sweetness from the roots which I think is a rather attractive combination but one where the sweetness easily overwhelms the brightness. The Čotar brought a very nice and earthy third voice to the counterpoint - though perhaps the counterpoint isn't on the level of Bach or Cristbal de Morales.