WTN: "Bloody Good"!

2003 "Vampire" Merlot Transylvania, Romania 13% alc.

One of two tastings here. Compliments of the Halloween holiday consumers market, this wine is quite good even though it's what I would call a gimmick wine (good move by Romania by the way), although, now that I second guess myself here, there's probably hardly a wine out there that doesn't have some kind of gimmick surrounding it more or less. (Sounds like a future post might be brewing). The wine was very drinkable, predictable and I didn't have a problem with that. Sometimes you just want to sip and eat without any belaboring analysis. Am I not right here? To me, there's a time to drink-and-think and a time to just drink; where the wine becomes more the backdrop of the occasion than the focus of it.

Anyway, good uncomplicated wine, very typical merlot notes, although I could tell that in another year it would have already peaked. It had a very slight "raisiny" nuance; a kind of nuance that I have personally associated with the aging process relative to wines that have gone too far (drinkability wise) accidentally or because they were never meant to go far, by design. Great bang for the buck, though, ($10).


2004 Rosemount Estate Diamond Label
53%Shiraz/47%Cabernet Sauvignon
14% alc.

This fruity beauty from "daown unda" is just that - FRUITY!
Great as a foil for the great fatty flavor of a grilled rib-eye beefsteak.
This is a tremendous blend; the shiraz and the cab are awesome together! Great dark fruit - blackberry, dark cherry (like an almost over-ripe Bing) and a great jammy quality that isn't weighed down, but rather, buoyed by great acidity/tannin balance. Finishes med with a bit of earth and rawhide, just a smidgen. Krighky, this is a good'n mate!

Aaron, thanks for the Romanian note. I've always wished that Romania and Bulgaria would shift gears into creating low-cropped, austere dry reds for the export market made from their native regional grapes (e.g. Feteasca Neagra, Gamza, etc.) so as to offer a counterpart to the great old ageworthy Western European reds. Of course, they have taken the ultra-international-style route more often than not - and as much as I hate to admit it, this is probably what's profitable for them at this time - even though I would passionately love to see more Blaufränkisch, Kadarka and Feteasca Neagra coming from that part of the world than I would Merlot, Cab Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and so on.

The one hope that I hold out for is that perhaps just as with white Zin in California back in the days when red wine was at a low in popularity, making wine in a currently-marketable style may help fund the local wine scenes in Eastern Europe so that one day, winemakers will have the desire and resources to plant estates with native viniferas and make authentically regional wines that will be both ageworthy and that will add unique patterns of their own to the world's wine tapestry.

I hope at least some of those winemakers are reading this!

I'll just add briefly that some years ago - about 8 or so - I recall buying a Merlot, of all things, from Bulgaria, made by a winemaker by the name of Petko Ivanov. The wine had been aged in oak for two years prior to bottling, and it was very austere and dry ... Miraculously, though, it had plenty of staying power and after I had left some in an opened but recorked bottle for a month, not only had it not oxidized - it was plummy and intensely tannic, but also velvety and dusty in texture. I was amazed that such an inexpensive wine could hold out so long in an open bottle. I can't recall at present what the winery was; I just remember the winemaker having been Petko Ivanov.

That was Merlot; I'd love to see more wines like that coming out of Eastern Europe rather than confected/carbonically-macerated stuff that needs to be drunk within a year of purchase.

Aaron, thanks for the Romanian note. I've always wished that Romania and Bulgaria would shift gears into creating low-cropped, austere dry reds for the export market made from their native regional grapes (e.g. Feteasca Neagra, Gamza, etc.) so as to offer a counterpart to the great old ageworthy Western European reds. Of course, they have taken the ultra-international-style route more often than not - and as much as I hate to admit it, this is probably what's profitable for them at this time - even though I would passionately love to see more Blaufränkisch, Kadarka and Feteasca Neagra coming from that part of the world than I would Merlot, Cab Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and so on.

The one hope that I hold out for is that perhaps just as with white Zin in California back in the days when red wine was at a low in popularity, making wine in a currently-marketable style may help fund the local wine scenes in Eastern Europe so that one day, winemakers will have the desire and resources to plant estates with native viniferas and make authentically regional wines that will be both ageworthy and that will add unique patterns of their own to the world's wine tapestry.

I hope at least some of those winemakers are reading this!

Great post, Paul!
Are you familiar with the flavor profiles of the indigenous grapes you mentioned? There's a way to get interest rolling. I've never heard of those grapes, it would be awesome if you could post some flavor comparisons relative to those we're very familiar with- Cabernet, Chardonnay, etc. Help us put our best wine-diversity-foot forward!

Aaron, here are some notes that I've posted over the years - now archived on the old WLDG.

Topic: TN: 1999 K&K Egri Kékfrankos (with additional comments)
Author: Paul B., Ontario, Canada
Date: Mon Oct 21 22:07:23 2002

Kékfrankos is a grape that's much better known by its other, more familiar names: Blaufränkisch and Lemberger. The word "Kékfrankos" is Hungarian and it means the exact same thing as the German word, with "kék" being "blue" and "frankos" being equivalent to "frankisch". Whatever you choose to call it, this is one of my most beloved red vinifera grapes. It was one of the first grapes that I went head-over-heels for, and the attraction has never subsided. In fact, I find more enjoyment in Central European red vinifera grapes than I do in any of the famous French red grapes. Although Italy's Barbera is another one of my vinifera favourites, give me a Blaufränkisch/Kékfrankos any day and you have made me a very happy man. Serve me a good Kékfrankos when I happen to be having beef stew, and I will be ecstatic.

Although I am an obligate fan of French hybrid grapes and their wines, I do make the occasional foray into red vinifera, and it is indeed in Central European red vinifera grapes, such as Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt and St. Laurent, that I find the particular mélange of flavours and textures that make red vinifera worthwhile in my book.

I picked up the 1999 K&K Egri Kékfrankos for something like $9 Cdn. recently, and I'm glad that I did. This fine yet very fairly priced wine is 12% alc./vol. and has a clear, medium dark-garnet colour. The nose displays a delightful spicy/white-pepper/beef-broth/bouillon aroma with some light red-berry accents. On the entry the wine is very tart, with excellent tannic grip. An appetizing white-pepper flavour carries through to the mid-palate, leading to a tart and chewy texture.

The flavour profile makes this a truly harmonious wine with any kind of red meat, but especially with all forms of beef (roast, stews with spicy sauces, etc.).

Topic: TN: 2000 Domaine Boyar Gamza (Danubian Plain Region)
Author: Paul B., Ontario, Canada
Date: Sun Jun 23 17:43:41 2002

13% alc. Dark ruby with a cherry-red hue. Forward, fruity/carbonic-maceration, plummy/crabapple nose. Good acidity and tannic grip on the mid-palate. Tart, warm and grippy, with a mouthfilling texture. Plum and crabapple flavours continue across the palate. Nicely astringent towards the finish. Clean and enjoyable.

For those who may not know, Gamza is an indigenous Eastern European red vinifera grape. In Hungary, the same grape is known as Kadarka. Although this variety used to be the backbone of the famed Egri Bikavér Hungarian red, it has become quite scarce over the past decade, its role being handed over to the more ubiquitous Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch). I was quite surprised to find this example of varietal Gamza, even though it is made to very modern specifications. In a more serious vein, I think it could make some very long-lived, cellar-worthy reds.

Topic: TN: 1998 Eagle Valley Feteasca Neagra (Dealu Mare region, Romania)
Author: Paul B., Toronto, Canada
Date: Mon May 21 17:21:00 2001

Feteasca Neagra, meaning "maiden's black wine", is a rarely-seen (due to limited production) Romanian red grape that was just too interesting for me to pass up when I saw it featured at Vintages earlier this year, and so I picked one up for the modest price of $9.95 and have held onto it until today.

Clear scarlet-ruby colour, with plenty of legs that form readily upon swirling. Juicy, full aromas of crabapples, appleskins, wet earth and red raspberries; mild secondary whiffs of green peppers. Good acidity and very chalky, tannic mouthfeel on the entry. Tongue-gripping texture proceeds to a long, chalky and earthy finish. Not much fruit persists on the palate, but the finish is long and pleasantly gruff (I enjoy this quality), with plenty of crabapple notes lingering on the palate.

This is certainly no international style wine, despite the catchy name. The label claims it was made by "traditional methods", and that it is suitable for "any hearty meals" - a claim I tested and found to be true.

Aaron, here are some notes that I've posted over the years - now archived on the old WLDG.

Tremendous, Paul. Thanks alot!

Good notes there PaulB!! Many years ago when I was runing an outdoor catering outfit, Gamza was one of the reds we offered. Quite brutal but cheap and the punters lapped it up!!!!

Glad you liked them, guys.

When I'm passionate about a grape or region's wines, I am all but consumed by enthusiasm - so it's a pleasure

Wow...thank you Paul! I've become recently enamored with more "obscure" Italian varietals (Negroamare! Monica!) , so this post suggests some other interesting avenues to pursue. Time to check K&L.