Recently I had been finding it difficult to source more interesting wines, being limited to large retailers that focus on local producers and well-worn varietals. Fortunately, I have recently discovered a small, boutique wine cellar that should satisfy my experimental urges for the foreseeable future.
In this case, we have a Slovenian wine made from Malvasia – an opportunity to try a wine from a unfamiliar region, made from an unusual varietal. Unfortunately, I was in for a shock…
The Stats
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Appearance
- Clarity: Clear
- Intensity: Medium
- Colour: Gold
Nose
- Condition: Clean
- Intensity: Medium
- Development: Developing
Palate
- Sweetness: Dry
- Acidity: Medium+
Tannin: N/A- Alcohol: Medium-
- Body: Medium+
- Flavor Intensity: Medium+
- Finish: Medium
Conclusions
- Quality: Acceptable
- Readiness/Cellaring: Can drink now, potential to cellar
- Identity: Slovenia / Brda / Malvasia
- Price: Premium (~$75)
Notes
- Long, thick tears
- Aromas of pear, overripe peach, browned apple, honey, walnut
- Flavours of lemon, overripe apple, walnut, honey, sour cherry
- VERY tart on the palate. May just be the style of the wine (natural wine), but not expected.
- May serve well as a food wine or aperitif.
- Wish I had more warning while buying, otherwise may have dismissed as oxidised
- Possible food match with curry dishes and fatty fish.
Elaboration
I raised the glass to my nose – some very ripe aromas were inviting me to take a sip…
This wine was TART. Absolutely sour. This was not the crisp, refreshing acidity of a dry Riesling, but the mouth-puckering sourness of vinegar.
I wondered if I had run out of good luck and finally gotten a faulty bottle, when I took a look at the back label, which made mention of “natural” winemaking.
For a thorough breakdown of organic, biodynamic and natural wines, click here.
While I have come across natural wines that tasted amazing, this less impressive example makes a good case for interventionalist winemaking – being able to select for specific yeasts and using steel tanks for sterility gives one much more control over the final product.
At the same time, I cannot completely fault the wine – I am aware of certain dry sherries that carry a similar profile. Coupled with my generous slant, I hesitantly graded this wine as “acceptable”.
I suppose the moral of the story this time is “caveat emptor” – buyer beware.
Read more: Developing A Healthy Lifestyle Around Wine
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