BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

BUYING I GUIDE
88
Neumeister 2009 Gelber
Muskateller Klassik (Südoststeiermark);
$23. Fresh wine, touched by late harvest
richness. Apples, spice and orange zest make
for a vividly aromatic series of delicious flavors.
Imported by Frederick Wildman & Sons,
Ltd. —R.V.
SWEET WINES
93
Kollwentz 2006 Chardonnay
Trockenbeerenauslese (Burgenland);
$NA/375 ml. Brilliant wine, honey and
intense acidity over the crispest lemon and spice
flavors. From Chardonnay grown in the
Tatschler vineyard, this is lively, fresh and sumptuous
all at the same time. Imported by Vos
Selections. —R.V.
92
Norbert Bauer 2008 Grüner Veltliner
Eiswein (Niederösterreich);
$35/375 ml. Both crisp and rich, a magical
combination with beautiful acidity, light currants,
the whole wine infused with honey. The final
acidity leaves a long-lasting aftertaste. Imported
by Epicur Wines. —R.V.
91
Josef Ehmoser 2009 Grüner Veltliner
Eiswein (Wagram-
Donauland); $34/375 ml. Harvested on
December 15, this rich and sweet wine is light
on acidity but heavy on concentrated apricot jam
and honey flavors. It is opulent, intense, with a
bright ginger spice aftertaste. Imported by Magellan
Wine Imports. —R.V.
BULGARIA
RED WINES
86
Vini 2008 Veni Vidi Vici Cabernet
Sauvignon (Thracian Valley); $8.
Herbaceous notes of dill and green wood converge
with ripe, sweet plum and spice aromas on
this medium-bodied, bargain Bulgarian Cabernet
Sauvignon. Although initially soft with notes of
sweet blackberry, it gains earthiness in the midpalate.
Firm tannins offer structure, but the
vanilla finish drops a bit abruptly. Imported by
Bulgarian Master Vintners. Best Buy. —A.I.
83
Vini 2008 Veni Vidi Vici Merlot
(Thracian Valley); $8. Although pleasant
aromatically with notes of toasted oak, dark
cherries and black pepper spice, the dark cherry
flavors of this Bulgarian Merlot are overpowered
by gripping wood and grape tannins and an
aggressive, sour acidity. Overall, it’s choppy and
disjointed, but the earthy, fruity finish isn’t bad.
Imported by Bulgarian Master Vintners. —A.I.
WHITE WINES
85
Targovishte 2009 Riesling (Bulgaria);
$9. Aromatically, this Bulgarian
Riesling is quite pretty with loads of freshly
pressed apples, elderflowers and Meyer lemon
scents. Light bodied and dry with a racy acidity,
its palate is austere but has some muted floral
and honeydew flavors. Imported by Bulgarian
Master Vintners. Best Buy. —A.I.
84
Vini 2009 Veni Vidi Vici Sauvignon
Blanc (Thracian Valley); $8. The
nose on this Bulgarian Sauvignon Blanc opens
with white flowers and honey, but devolves rapidly
to scents of musk and feline spray. Dry, with
brisk acidity, there’s some refreshing lemon zest
and melon rind flavors on the palate. The viscosity
of this medium-bodied wine is pleasant, but
the finish ends on a dusty note. Imported by Bulgarian
Master Vintners. Best Buy. —A.I.
82
Targovishte 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
(Bulgaria); $9. Though pleasant aro-
matically with lots of freshly cut grass and gooseberry
notes, this full-bodied, dry Bulgarian
Sauvignon Blanc has a dense, clunky mouthfeel
and a bracingly high acidity. There’s some decent
lemon and grapefruit flavors, but plenty of tinned
green asparagus as well. Imported by Bulgarian
Master Vintners. —A.I.
81
Targovishte 2009 Chardonnay
(Bulgaria); $9. The nose on this Bul-
garian Chardonnay might be promising with
scents of dill, coconut, fresh apples and herbs.
The palate, however, is jagged and disjointed
with enamel-eroding acidity combined with flavors
of vanilla, leafy stalks and sour green plums.
The finish drops suddenly and ends on a smoky,
dusty note. Imported by Bulgarian Master Vintners.
—A.I.
GEORGIA
82
Telavi 2008 Marani Saperavi Rosé
(Kakheti); $10. Salmon pink with a
tinge of copper, this Georgian rosé made from
4 4 | W I N E E N T H U S I A S T | D E C E M B E R 1 , 2 0 1 0
the Saperavi grape wafts of syrupy strawberry jam
and tinned tomato juice. There’s some berry
notes, but overall, flavors of tomato and dried
herbs dominate the palate. Imported by Corus
LLC. —A.I.
LEBANON
RED WINE
87
Château Musar 2008 Jeune Red
(Bekaa Valley); $20. The Jeune Red
from Château Musar’s second line (formerly
labeled Musar Cuvée Rouge) is a blend of Cinsault,
Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon that smells
sweetly of ripe black cherries with rustic herbal
and earthy notes. It opens softly with sweet blackberries
and a hint of green bramble, but is chased
by a mid-palate of fairly aggressive tannins and
acidity. Fermented and aged in concrete vats, the
Musar Jeune is completely unoaked and intended
for early consumption, but would probably do
nicely with some bottle aging as well. Imported
by Broadbent Selections, Inc. —A.I.
ROSÉ WINE
82
Heritage 2008 Rosé d’Une Nuit
(Bekaa Valley); $15. A blend of Cinsault,
Grenache and Syrah, this salmon-colored
rosé from Lebanon is dominated both on the
nose and palate by a green, herbaceous oak character.
It’s a dry, medium-bodied wine with faint
and dusty strawberry and raspberry flavors in the
backdrop, but overall, a disjointed, clumsy sip.
Imported by Vidalco International, LLC. —A.I.
WHITE WINES
87
Château Musar 2008 Cuvée Blanc
(Bekaa Valley); $20. Unoaked and
intended for earlier consumption, the Musar
Cuvée Blanc is the uncomplicated, easy-to-drink
younger sibling of the idiosynractic Lebanese
winery’s more austere Château line. A blend of
Chardonnay, Viognier and Vermentino, the wine
has aromas of bruised apples on the nose, but
plenty of fresh apple and pear on the palate with
bright acidity and a stony, mineral profile. It’s a
balanced wine with pleasant astringency on the
palate and an herbaceous character throughout.
Imported by Broadbent Selections, Inc. —A.I.