2001 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva

Classic old school Rioja from a traditional producer. 90% Tempranillo based wine aged in American oak.

2001 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva

Saturated ruby color with a minimal orange rim. Well developed, youthful and intense nose. The red fruit represented in various forms is highly celebrated on the nose: cranberries, red and black cherry, strawberries, together with complex aromas of orange peel, blood orange, spices, tobacco and game. There is a stunning purity of red fruit on the nose that I enjoyed tremendously. Full bodied, lively and balanced, this wine has a great drink-ability. Assertive but smooth tannins and a killer acidity provide a long lasting structure to this wine. Medium plus finish, always on the red fruit profile and fresh. (90-91/100)

2011 Davino Sauvignon Blanc Edition Limitee

This wine was served after the Chante-Alouette Hermitage Blanc from Chapoutier so it did not benefit from the best serving order. The SB from Davino is a young wine, fermented and aged for a few month only in stainless steel tanks compared to the white Hermitage aged for 10-12 months in French oak barrels.

2011 Davino Sauvignon Blanc Edition Limitee

Pale yellow color with green reflections. This is classic, textbook Sauvignon Blanc, showing intense aromas of elder flower, passion fruit, green apple and citric fruits. Full bodied, lively and fresh, with a medium citric and fresh finish. After the high complexity of Chapoutier’s Hermitage Blanc, this wine comes a bit more basic -understandable considering the serving order , but it still seduces with its great typicality and intense flavors. (88-89/100)

2008 Chapoutier Hermitage Blanc Chante-Alouette

This is 100% Marsanne from Chapoutier – the emblematic Rhone producer. We opened this wine and put it in a decanter in a fridge where it rested for almost 2 hours.

2008 Chapoutier Hermitage Blanc Chante-Alouette

Deep gold color. This wine has a really complex nose that changed its aromatics constantly with each glass we sipped. Rich and intense aromas that resembles initially a Mosel Rielsing with pineapple, quince, pear and peach, then shifting to fresher aromas of orange and tangerine peel, ripe lime, melon and vanilla, with depth given by the complex Asian spices that always stay in the background. Full bodied, ripe and creamy on the palate, this has incredible richness and balance, with medium acidity. The Asian spice mixed with fresh tropical yellow fruits shows unbelievable concentration. Long finish and lingering flavors. This is a stunning wine. 13.5% alc (93/100)

Delamotte NV Mesnil-sur-Oger

Took advantage of the early summer days that we experience now in Bucharest and had a barbecue on SUN with some friends in my courtyard. As fish was today’s staple, it was the white wine that dominated the line-up of wines.

First wine served was a Champagne from a producer established in 1760 and now owned by the same people behind the very expensive Salon. Chardonnay based Champagne from the Le Mesnil sur Oger.

Delamotte Brut NV Mesnil-sur-Oger

Medium yellow lemon color with some green reflections and fine smooth bubbles. Intense nose without the richness and perhaps a bit more austere compared to Egly-Ouriet Pinot Meunier based Champagne, but still charming and refreshing, with plenty of aromas of citrus fruits, wet rocks, almonds and surprisingly very little yeasty aromas . Medium body with sharp acidity and good precision on the palate. Medium finish, citric and refreshing. (89-90/100)

Champagne Egly-Ouriet Les Vignes de Vrigny 1er Cru

Made from 100% Pinot Meunier with oak treatment.

Champagne Egly-Ouriet Les Vignes de Vrigny 1er Cru

Deep yellow gold color with fine mousse and rich smooth bubbles. I love the well developed, intense and rich nose of this Champagne. Strong aromas of yeast, refined citrus fruit with a touch of vanilla and plenty of yellow spice dance in the glass.  Fullness, ripeness and elegance come to mind when tasting this Champagne. Rich and expressive on the palate, this has a very pronounced vinosity. It is just at the border between a still white wine and a sparkling, successfully balancing the richness of a classy white and the liveliness of a Champagne . Long, spicy and citric finish. I really love this style of Champagne. (92-93/100)

This is my second 100% Pinot Meunier Champagne after La Closerie des Beguines from Jerome Prevost and I am even more tempted to seek more PM based Champagnes.

Vinurile de colecţie, o afacere ameţitoare – articol aparut in Capital

Articol aparut in Capital editia de Bucuresti in saptamana 22-29 Aprilie.

68.500 de euro este cel mai mare preţ pentru un lot de vinuri adjudecat în Bucureşti. Bonul de achiziţie a lotului, datat septembrie 2011, constituie certificatul de naştere al pieţei vinurilor de colecţie din România

Piaţa vinurilor rare începe să se organizeze, şi tot mai mulţi cumpărători învaţă să privescă achiziţionarea unei sticle de vin vechi şi celebru ca pe o investiţie. Licitaţiile de profil sunt privite de cumpărători, producători şi intermediari ca fiind un moment în care colecţiile de vinuri încep să aibă lichiditate şi transparenţă. Până acum, au fost organizate doar două licitaţii importante, iar alte două sunt programate pentru acest an.

Debutul din septembrie anul trecut al licitaţiilor cu vinuri de colecţie a fost spectaculos. Cineva a scos din buzunar aproape şaptezeci de mii de euro pentru a cumpăra un lot de 288 de sticle de vin de Bordeaux din 2001. Tot atunci, următoarea adjudecare importantă s-a făcut la 20.275 de euro, oferiţi pentru 12 sticle de Château Petrus din 1979, ceea ce înseamnă o valoare per sticlă de aproape 1.700 de euro. Licitaţia a fost organizată de Compania Le Manoir, liderul pe piața românească de vinuri și gastronomie fină, în colaborare cu casa de licitaţii Artmark. Au fost propuse 45 de loturi de vinuri din Franţa şi Italia, dar şi vinuri de lux româneşti, dintre care au fost adjudecate 41 de loturi, la o valoare totală de 147.570 de euro. În aprilie a.c., aceiaşi organizatori au revenit cu o altă licitaţie, pe care o numesc „mai light“, una cu loturi mai puţine şi mai puţin valoroase. Cel mai disputat a fost un lot de vinuri americane, Opus One California 2007, cotat cu 95 de puncte Parker, al cărui preț de adjudecare a fost de 1500 de euro, față de un preţ de pornire de 980 de euro.
Randament de 80%-90%, în numai doi ani

Un portofoliu de vinuri atent selecţionate este un plasament financiar alternativ care poate fi interesant pentru investitori. Iar atenta selecţionare presupune criterii impuse de criticii internaţionali, de punctajul Parker şi de experienţele individuale. Cumpărător de vinuri rare, omul de afaceri Dan Pascariu crede în valoarea investiţională a vinului. Cu o condiţie: să nu fie vorba despre vinurile autohtone. „Vinurile româneşti nu deţin notorietatea care să le poată oferi un randament de piaţă“, susţine Pascariu. Randamentul financiar al colecţiilor de vinuri a atras atenţia şi altor oameni din mediul bancar şi de afaceri. Cosmin Grozea este deţinătorul a 800 de sticle de vin, dintre care doar despre 500 crede că sunt „cu adevărat vin de colecţie“. Provine din zona finanţelor şi investeşte în vin din 2008. Pentru el, importante sunt preţul şi evoluţia acestuia.

„Cumpăr vinuri direct de la crame, dar majoritatea le achiziţionez direct de la negustori din Bordeaux – pe cele mai noi, sau de la comercianţi privaţi specializaţi în comerţul cu vinuri vechi – pe cele cu vechime de 25-45 de ani. Am vândut din loturile achiziţionate, şi fiecare vânzare a fost în profit“, susţine Grozea. El spune că a observat că, în ultimii doi ani, cele mai mari randamente au fost la vinurile pentru care a plătit 75-120 euro pe sticlă. „La vinurile din categoria 75-120 euro, creşterea a fost de 80%-90% în doi ani, pe când la cele de peste 200 de euro randamentul a fost la 30%-55%“, arată Grozea.

Vinurile vechi româneşti sunt trecute de colecţionari la categoria „bibelouri“, piese care nu au o valoare gustativă, ci doar una istorică. În ceea ce priveşte producţia recentă, şi cei care vând, şi cei care cumpără admit că lucrurile încep să se mişte. „Vinurile româneşti de calitate, cu potenţial de păstrare, abia încep să apară şi sunt foarte rare“, spune Cristian Preotu, proprietarul Le Manoir.

Singurul producător român care a fost prezent în cele două licitaţii deja desfăşurate este DaVino. Cel mai mare preţ obţinut de el în licitaţie a fost de 275 de euro pentru un lot de șase sticle Ceptura Rouge. „Este o afacere care necesită investiţii de câteva milioane de euro şi un timp de aşteptare de 15-20 de ani“, spune patronul DaVino, Dan Balaban. „Ne-a luat zece ani până să producem primul vin pe care să putem scrie Rezervă. Îţi ia timp să înţelegi care e maximul unui vin, când îl culegi, ce tip de vinificaţie, cum îl maturezi.

Experimentele se pot face o singură dată pe an“, spune Balaban. Potrivit lui, un vin mediu de la DaVino din recoltele 2003-2004 va valora până la 300 de euro în 2015, faţă de 80 de euro preţul actual. „Există două surse de creştere a preţului: creşterea generală a pieţei şi faptul că parte din vinuri se consumă şi devin tot mai rare“, explică patronul DaVino.

“Colecţionarii de vinuri nu sunt doar colecţionari, ci şi consumatori de vinuri bune. A avea o colecţie de vinuri bune este şi un semn de cultură, dar şi de reuşită socială” Cristian Preotu, patron, Le Manoir

Link direct catre articol: http://www.capital.ro/detalii-articole/stiri/vinurile-de-colectie-o-afacere-ametitoare-165435.html

Cum sa investim in active lichide – articol aparut in revista Vinul.ro

Articol scris de Cosmin Grozea / fromgrapestowine.wordpress.com

Vinul s-a dovedit in ultimii 10-12 ani un generator semnificativ de profituri pentru cei care au mizat pe acest sector. Un grafic comparativ intre evolutia aurului, a celor mai importanti indici bursieri globali, a economiilor emergente, a marfurilor si indicele vinurilor fine (construit de Liv-ex) arata ca vinurile fine au fost unele dintre cele mai profitabile plasamente, cu randamente de peste 350% pe o perioada de 6-7 ani, si peste 600% in decurs de 10-12 ani. Exista, de asemenea, si cazuri in care anumite vinuri au crescut cu mult peste media indicelui: vezi Lafite si sumele fabuloase platite pana anul trecut la licitatiile organizate in China. Trebuie inteles de la inceput ca sectorul vinurilor fine este foarte mic comparat cu oceanele de vin produse anual in lume.

Vinuri care se califica a fi active lichide sunt produse in Bordeaux, Burgundia, valea Ronului, Champagne, Italia, SUA si Spania. O statistica interesanta arata ca pana in 1988 piata vinurilor fine din Bordeaux era detinuta de 30 de vinuri. In prezent, 118 vinuri din Bordeaux reprezinta aproximativ 85% din volumul total al tuturor vinurilor fine. Din acestea, 25 de vinuri reprezinta, ca valoare, 80% din volumul total al investitiilor in vin. Practic, un numar foarte limitat de etichete si-au pierdut valoarea lor intriseca, si au capatat o noua dimensiune, devenind „obiecte de colectie” valorand prea mult pentru a mai fi consumate. Ca si paranteza, marea problema in Romania este ca termenul de vinuri de colectie este asociat eronat cu vinuri care nu au nimic in comun cu aceasta denumire folosita la nivel global.

Caracteristicile vinurilor de colectie

Exista cateva criterii esentiale care trebuiesc indeplinite de un vin pentru a putea trece in clasa activelor lichide. Cel mai important este longevitatea, capacitatea de a rezista decenii si de a evolua pozitiv. Este de notorietate capacitatea de invechire a vinurilor produse in Bordeaux si Burgundia. Un alt criteriu este „pedigree-ul“ producatorului. De cele mai multe ori avem de a face cu producatori cu experienta de zeci si chiar sute de ani, care au reusit sa-si construiasca o reputatie buna in timp si stiu cum sa o valorifice.

Un Petrus dintr-un an mai slab va fi tot timpul mai scump decat un Cos d’Estournel sau un Lynch Bages provenind din ani consacrati. Volumul si consecventa in calitate sunt foarte importante. Pentru ca o piata de investitie sa poata functiona bine pe termen lung, este important sa fie lichida, sa poata sa absoarba capitalul participantilor. Succesul de care se bucura etichetele provenind din Bordeaux se datoreaza faptului ca fiecare vin este produs in cantitati suficiente pentru a putea fi achizionate de un numar mare de cumparatori. Un Chateau de pe Malul Stang (Left Bank) din Bordeaux produce in medie intre 80 si 120.000 de sticle anual, toate avand aceeasi calitate. Situatia devine putin dramatica in cazul producatorilor din Burgundia, unde parcelele sunt mici si foarte mici, iar productia de-a dreptul ridicola in anumite cazuri.

Criticii internationali de vin sunt cei care misca piata vinurilor de colectie. Jancis Robinson, Stephen Tanzer, Allen Meadows, Wine Spectator si, cel mai important pentru acest sector, Robert Parker si publicatia sa Wine Advocate, sunt cei care ridica sau coboara pretul unui vin. Pentru Bordeaux, cea mai mare influenta o are punctajul lui Robert Parker. Un scor perfect de 100 de puncte Parker transforma peste noapte un vin in obiect de colectie si elimina practic orice posibil plafon de pret la licitatiile de vin. Urmeaza apoi cresterea exponentiala a pretului acelui vin in timp scurt la valori imprevizibile.

Parker a proclamat inca de la degustarea en-primeur din 2010 ca anul 2009 a produs cele mai bune vinuri in Bordeaux din intreaga sa cariera de critic de vin. Trebuie mentionat ca vinurile din 2009 si 2010 au fost lansate la preturi record. La sfarsitul lui martie 2012, Wine Advocate a publicat punctajele finale ale vinurilor din 2009. Nu mai putin de 19 vinuri au primit punctaje perfecte de 100 de puncte Parker. Ceea ce a urmat a fost o crestere imediata (cu 10% pana la 160%) a preturilor acestor vinuri deja considerate scumpe de la lansare. Cresteri semnificative au avut Clos Fourtet 140%, Smith Haut Lafitte rosu 140% si Beausejour Duffau 160% (toate din 2009).

Piata vinurilor fine este reprezentata de Bordeaux 85%, Burgundia 5-6%, Valea Ronului 3%, iar restul, in procentaj mai mic de 2% fiecare, fiind vinuri din Champagne, Italia, Spania si SUA. Ca si participant activ pe piata plasamentelor in vin, gasesc preturile actuale foarte mari, chiar exagerate. Vorbim de cazuri frecvente in care este mult mai ieftin sa cumperi un vin vechi de 10-20 de ani sau chiar mai mult al aceluiasi producator decat cel din 2009 sau 2010. Eu am ales sa fiu vanzator in aceasta piata. Este greu de spus cand se va sparge acest “balon de sapun”, dar personal cred ca este doar o chestiune de timp. Istoria ne-a aratat ca omenirea tinde sa repete aceleasi greseli in timp.

Link direct catre articol: http://vinul.ro/cum-sa-investim-in-active-lichide.html

2004 Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva

Bought it during my recent trip to Spain. I tasted this wine about one year ago during Vinexpo in Bordeaux and I remember it being memorable. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any tasting notes back then.

2004 Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva

Deep, saturated ruby color. Well developed, complex and explosive nose that only builds up with aeration. Intense aromas of sweet ripe red fruit, blood orange, cola and tobacco burst out of the glass initially and, as it aerates, subtle and complex aromas of game, iron and even blood add more depth. Full bodied and deeply concentrated, this is a really intense, multi-layered and powerful wine for now. Well balanced, with firm but smooth tannins and a built to last structure, the wine is fleshy, with vibrant red fruit, spices and lively acidity. Long finish and great clarity. This is a youthful wine, with serious potential for very long aging, but already rewarding the drinker. 14% alc. (93/100)

Mini vertical of Chateau Lagrange St-Julien: 1994 and 1995

Had dinner last night at a friend’s house involved in the wine business and I was surprised by his statement that the vast majority of Romanian wine drinkers do not like older wines and prefer young and fruit driven ones. It is a pity that people do not try to discover the complexities of an aged wine. It is true that one can have bad surprises with wines when they seldom past their best, but it is equally true that a well aged one can bring a lot of emotions. The best strategy when choosing an older bottle of wine is to do some research online and see what other people that recently had that wine are saying. After all, money does not grow in trees and one has to pay when purchasing such an older bottle.

We had this conversation in the context of serving two older vintages from a classic Saint Julien producer. 1994 was the first vintage in the early ’90s considered to bring back optimism after 3 consecutive disastrous vintages: 1991, 1992 and 1993.

In 1994 conditions looked highly promising by early September, and then from September 7 the rain began and continued for most of the month. Fortunately temperatures were fairly cool and there was little rot, but the wet weather did cause some dilution. Growers did not delay the harvest, as the grapes, especially Merlot, were as ripe as they were going to get, and there was nothing to be gained by waiting. The red wines turned out to be dark, quite rich and tannic.

Then came the glorious 1995 that confirmed the quality.

Some critics declared themselves unimpressed by 1995, but with time it has become clear that this is easily the best vintage since 1990, and the best wines are evolving slowly but impressively. They will be long-lived.

Chateau Lagrange is owned by the Japanese Suntory group together with Chateau Beychevelle.

Both bottles had healthy and long corks with very limited soaking, so there is really no rush to open these wines from this perspective. The uncorking was easy and there were no unpleasant surprises struggling to take them out in one piece. How are the two Lagrange wines tonight ?

1995 Chateau Lagrange St-Julien

Youthful dark red garnet color with really no signs of aging. Shy and closed on the nose when initially opened, this wine expands its aromatics by the minute, being fully opened after 1-2 hours. Well developed and maturing nose, intense, with generous aromas of smoke, dried red paprika, coffee bean, cedar, gamey undertones and still plenty of cranberries and black currant fruit. It successfully preserves a sweet and spicy nose. Full bodied and supple on the palate, this is classic aged St-Julien. Well structured and balanced, with smooth and ripe tannins, the wine shows red fruit mixed with coffee and pencil shavings on the palate. After 2 hours, the Cabernet Sauvignon typical aromas of black currant and green bell pepper dominate the stage. Medium plus finish with good freshness and an espresso like flavor. 12.5% alc (90-91/100)

1994 Chateau Lagrange St-Julien

Dark ruby red color with a certain brick tone at the rim. Completely closed,charmless and thin on the palate initially. I was actually fearing that the wine is dead when I tasted it just after uncorking. After 1-2 hours the wine changed dramatically. The nose is fully mature, with very little red fruit left and dominated by aromas of coffee bean, tobacco, forest floor and cedar. Medium bodied and rather watery on the palate, it certainly lacks the density and the charm of the 1995. The tannins are rather aggressive, especially on the finish, while the maturing flavors and the very little red fruit that it is still left on the palate is not able to harmoniously balance the abrasive tannins structure. Medium and drying finish. 12.5% (86-87/100)

The 1994 requires very fat food in order for those tannins to feel smoother. I guess tonight the pair of wines was like Two Face.

2009 Davino Domaine Ceptura Rouge

Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Feteasca Neagra aged for 9-10 months in Romanian new oak.

2009 Davino Domaine Ceptura Rouge

Dark red garnet color with purple reflections. Developing nose, youthful, with intense aromas that develop with aeration. This wine has the aromatic profile of a wine from the Southern Rhone: ripe fruit, rich spices, licorice and roasted herbs. Full bodied, dense and extracted, the wine has the 14.6% alcohol well balanced. There is a very good structure on the palate, with firm and chewy tannins, and flavors of cinnamon, sweet fruit, coffee bean and cocoa. Medium plus long finish with a certain pleasant bitterness given by flavors of green nuts and espresso. This can also evolve well in time. (90+/100)

2006 Trapiche Single Vineyard Vina Federico Villafane

I tasted this wine several times over the last 3-4 years and I was able to observe his evolution. It is said that most top notch New World wines do not evolve after their 5th or 6th year from the vintage. Being able to sample at least a bottle per year since 2009, I observed a smooth transition from really big oaky flavors with plenty of coconut, caramel and creme brulee, and almost opaque, deep dark red-purple color, to where the wine it is today.

2006 Trapiche Single Vineyard Vina Federico Villafane

Deep dark red garnet color. Intense nose but rather shy compared to the blockbuster that it used to be; it certainly gives the impression of a  more elegant wine. There are however rich aromas of ripe fruit mixed with coffee, toffee, tobacco and spices on the nose. Full bodied and dense on the palate, it is the first time that it shows a backward character. The tannins are ripe and sweet, it is well balanced, but the wine is no longer generous in flavors. It maintains a good structure and has a long fruity and spicy finish, but I feel that it is somehow closing down. This has to be followed and see how it develops in time. 14.5% alc (91/100)

2003 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese

2003 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese

Deep yellow lemon color with green reflections. Intense and sweet nose, with subtle aromas of pineapple, yellow peach, pear, candied lime and melon, with very little traces of petrol. The wine is very fruity and racy on the palate, with plenty of fruity flavors in the aftertaste and mouth-watering acidity. It does not have the richness, nor the complexity of a Niederhauser Hermannshohle Spatlese, but it is nevertheless easy to drink and enjoy. 8.5% alc (92/100)

2000 Clos de l’Oratoire Saint-Emilion

2000 Clos de L’Oratoire Saint-Emilion

Youthful dark red garnet color. Well developed nose that starts shy initially, but after 2 hours of aeration in the bottle, it starts to develop very intense aromas that can be felt far away from the glass. Smoky plums, pencil shavings, coffee bean and cedar dominate the nose in a very welcoming way, with ripe fruits in the background: cranberry, black cherry and black currant. Full bodied, youthful, lively and well balanced, the wine shows a great structure on the palate with vibrant fruit mixed with bitter chocolate, clove spice and other similar flavors as on the nose. Long finish with soft tannins and lingering flavors. The wine exhibits a brilliant youthfulness and entered an optimum drinking plateau where it can easily stay for a decade or more. There is really no rush to open it now as it can still evolve. There is some sediment that can be avoided by leaving the bottle standing up and pouring with care. (92-93/100)

Had this wine during Easter with different lamb dishes. The crisp acidity washed very well the natural fatness of the slow cooked lamb making this wine a perfect candidate for these types of dishes.

The evolution of the Romanian wines

picture courtesy of Vinul din Cluj

The March 2012 edition of Goodwine fair brought more visitors in the first day of opening than any of the previous editions – definitely a big step forward for the Romanian wine sector. There were a lot of interesting new wines launched and, more importantly, there seems to be a significant evolution in the overall quality and commitment to improve at all levels: from small boutique wineries, that produce just a few tens of thousands of bottles, to large, mammoth wineries, producing tens of millions of wine every year. In this respect I was very pleasantly impressed by the new premium wines launched by Jidvei and the new Cotnari division.

picture courtesy of Vinul din Cluj

Jidvei hired Mr. Marc Dworkin as wine maker. Mr. Dworkin is a Frenchman  with a strong Bordeaux background who worked together with Mr. Michel Rolland in the past and already produces red wines from Merlot, Feteasca Neagra and Cabernet Sauvignon in Romania at Aliman (Winero) and from International red grape varieties for Enira, in Bulgaria. For Jidvei, Mr. Dworkin produced for now a Pinot Gris, a Feteasca Alba and a Chardonnay as their first white wines, and a Pinot Noir that still undergoes maturation in oak barrels. I actually attended a private preview blind tasting of these wines in December 2011 while they were unfiltered in tanks and they were already very promising. As the blind tasting was organized by Mr. Dworkin it was clear who the winemaker was but I had, at that time, no clue who was the producer.
At Jidvei’s booth I particularly enjoyed the Feteasca Alba, a wine with very nice floral aromas and very good body, lively and fresh, but keeping an elegant line. I also liked the Chardonnay, aged for 4-5 months in oak barrels that shows very good oak absorption already, elegant, round and long.

The collaboration between Jidvei and Mr. Dworkin will be extended from 100 ha as he’s supervising now to 200+ ha next year.

The same move of associating their name with a prestigious International winemaker was done last year by Murfatlar, when they entered into an agreement with Mr. Razvan Macici – the most famous Romanian winemaker working for Nederbug, a large producer of quality wines from South-Africa.

picture courtesy of Vinul din Cluj

Cotnari, a very large winery that mostly produces modest and unconvincing wines, made also a spin-off winery focused on quality, premium wines. Launched under the Simpozion brand, the wines tasted at the fair are different, better than all previous ones. Feteasca Alba, Tamaioasa Romaneasca and Grasa de Cotnari vinified dry are really interesting to try. If they maintain the same course, the consumers will have a wide range of alternatives to choose from in the future.

picture courtesy of Vinul din Cluj

Liliac is a new winery from Lechinta, near Targu Mures, that recently launched a first line of wines and was also present at this fair. The wines come from very young vines, but the owners made serious investments in replanting, building a new winery and buying brand new, state of the art equipment. The wines are produced by Mr. Willi Opitz, an Austrian winemaker more known for his Austrian sweet wines listed in famous restaurants and locations all over the world. Hopefully, as the vines will get older and offer better fruit, Mr. Opitz will be able to show the potential of this otherwise renowned white wine region. For now, Liliac showcased a Rose, a Feteasca Alba, a Feteasca Regala and a Sauvignon Blanc from the 2011 vintage, but also a sweet wine from 2010 as their whites, and a blend of Feteasca Neagra and Merlot from 2011 as their red.

I tasted the new 2011 whites from Crama Oprisor and their top reds from 2010, 2008 and 2007. The whites from “La Cetate” range are fresh, lively and forward, with fruity aromas and rewarding. I particularly liked the dry Tamaioasa Romaneasca, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, but the white that stood apart was their Rusalca Alba, a blend of four or five white grapes. The wine is elegant, not betting all on intense fruity aromas but also showing a nice complexity.

From the reds tasted I particularly liked the 2008 Nenumita, a wine with an extremely youthful dark red-purple color that shows a developed nose and intense spicy flavors, with a good tannins structure and extraction, having more room for development.

The 2007 Cutia Paleologu has a red color, showing more evolution both on the nose as the taste, more round and integrated, but with a less intense finish compared to Nenumita.

If I had to choose from the two, my bets would go for the 2008 Nenumita. The 2010 Smerenie is supple and spicy, and probably 6 months more of bottle aging will only make it better.

The Hungarian wines from Vylyan are very interesting. I enjoyed a lot their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon – aged for 14-15 months in Hungarian oak – that shows a real supple character, with enough stuff to make it both interesting and intense in flavors, as well as a very good drink-ability.

Vinarte offered a good surprise this year. At their booth, I tasted 2009 Prince Mircea, 2008 Prince Matei and 2000 Prince Mircea from magnum. 2009 Prince Mircea is a really dense and fleshy Merlot, that shows a rich nose filled with truffles, black fruit and coffee aromas. Rich texture on the palate, with good structure and vibrant red and black fruit mixed with cocoa and plums, the wine has a medium aftertaste with assertive tannins and long flavors.

2008 Prince Matei is more backwards, supple and not revealing itself too much for the moment.

The 2000 Prince Mircea from magnum shows a maturing nose, with plenty of leather, tobacco and game aromas, mixed with bright fruit and coffee, a nose with really good intensity. Unfortunately the wine does not maintain the same intensity of flavors in the mouth, the aftertaste being relatively short. This wine should be drunk now as I do not find any more room for improvement. (85/100)

Avincis showcased also a few new wines, a new white blend and a red Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2007 Avincis Cabernet Sauvignon is already interesting. Stirbey continues to impress with their Extra Brut sparkling made from Cramposie.

I also enjoyed a 2009 Budureasca Pinot Noir Rezerva produced in a limited 2000 bottles release. The 2008 Origini Feteasca Neagra, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2007 Reserva are a bit too tannic for the moment, but the dry top white wine is already rewarding.

My visit at this fair was fairly short, for just a few hours on FRI. However, as short as it was, I could not miss the excitement of the organizers and the wineries representatives present, for the larger number of people that came on this first day of the fair, compared to the previous editions. I guess the revolution and abundance of new and better wines that we experience now is directly mirrored by the enthusiasm and the increasing number of people that want to discover and enjoy better wines.