WTN: Old Moldovan wine

Melestii Mici Traminer 1988 - Vin de Calitate Matur Rezerva; 10% or 11% abv depending on which part of the lable one believes; bottled 2010; 11€

Melestii Mici have the largest collection of old bottles in the world (some two million). We recently got two of them in Alko, this white and their "Codru" 1987 red. I had no idea wine of this quality was made in Moldova and, indeed, the tiny cork and the horrible lable (sorry, no camera with me) didn't inspire confidence. But the wine was wonderful. It had sweet and ripe aromas of oranges, minerals, earth and rosewater. The palate was dry but pleasantly rich despite the low alcohol and has pleasantly crisp acidity. Both the aroma profile and the structure remind me of Čotar's Malvazija. It is very lively despite some aged aromatics.

Hi Otto -

Thank you for your interesting account. I am sure that I will never see - never mind drink - this wine, but it is still quite fascinating to read about your positive experience with it.

Thanks Andrew! I certainly look forward to trying the red now.

And the red was very pleasant: Mileştii Mici Codru 1987 a blend of 75% Cabernet Saugignon and 25% Merlot. Once again, it comes with an unbearably ugly label and and tiny compressed cork. But the wine is again a lovely little drop. Very bright and pure aromas of cherry and some herbaceous Cab lift. No oak aromas as far as I can see. Resolved structurally, but with still vibrant fruit - it dosn't seem like it will go over the cliff soon though it is pleasantly light. A luncheon claret and dashed good one at that!

Otto -

Thanks for letting us know how the red turned out - glad to hear that it was also a pleasant surprise.