The Event: a tasting of Antique Europe wines (Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova, Georgia, Romania) plus some rare Greek wines for sale at the LCBO's “200 Danforth” store, the first roll-out of the specialty wine markets.

The Date and Time: Thursday, September 3, 2015   11:30 AM – 3 PM

The Event: a tasting of Antique Europe wines (Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova, Georgia, Romania) plus some rare Greek wines for sale at the LCBO's "200 Danforth" store, the first roll-out of the specialty wine markets.

The Venue: Cava Restaurant

The Target Audience: members of the Wine Writers' Circle of Canada

The Availability/Catalogue: most of the Eastern European wines are now (or will be) at the LCBO, the balance are via private orders and consignment.

The Quote/Background: We started the Fall 2015 season off with a bang, with a huge turnout of members for this great tasting. Zoltan Szabo made all the arrangements for the restaurant and for the wine collection.

The Wines: I did not taste all the wines, many were roaming around the room as there were only one or two bottles of each wine. However, I did have some names and prices of

some of these wines, and they are noted below as unrated and untasted.

 

ANTIQUE EUROPE

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Puklus Pinceszet Tokaji Aszu 3 puttonyos 2010 $20.95 +980805 Vintages

-Purcari Chardonnay "1827" 2013 Moldova $16.50 Vintages TBD

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Purcari Rara Neagra de Purcari "1827" 2013 Moldova $19.55 +426262 Vintages October

-Gitana Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Moldova TBD CARTO Wines  info@cartowines.com

-Feteasca Neagra Monser 2012 $14 +315069 Vintages December

-J & J Eger Kekfrankos 2011 Hungary, ~$24.95 Trialto Liquid Art Consignment

-Garamvari Szolobirtok Balatonlellei Irsai Oliver 2013 Lake Balaton

$12.25 +12070 Vintages

-Orbelus Hrumki 2012: Early Melnik 30%, Mourvedre 30%, Marselan 30%, Syrah 10% Bulgaria   PO  Bogie's Best Imports

-Grasa de Cotnari 2013 $13.95 Romania +73205 Vintages April 2016

-Gilvesy Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Balaton Hungary  Nicholas Pearce np@npwines.com

-Lovico Winery Syrah/merlot 2013 Stambolovo Estate $15.05 Bulgaria www.vinatovin.com

-Lovico Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2011 $15.05 Bulgaria www.vinatovin.com

 

*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Lovico Winery Chardonnay 2013 $14.35 Bulgaria www.vinatovin.com

-Lovico Winery Kotta299 Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $21.30 Bulgaria www.vinatovin.com

-Garamvari Szolobirtok Tokaji Yellow Muscat Semi-Sweet Puklus 2013 $15.95 +46508 Vintages

-Orbelus Melnik 2011 (organic) Early Melnik 86%, Grenache 9%, Petit Verdot 5% Bulgaria PO Bogie's Best Import

-Marani Saperavi Kakheti 2013 (Georgia) $15.95, +419382 Vintages

-Vranec Tikves 2012 Stobi (Republic of Macedonia),$13.95,+317297 Vintages

-Alazanis Valley Red S-sw 2013 Tbilvino (Georgia), $14.95, +142109 Vintages

-Cotnari Tamaioasa Romaneasca 2012/2010 Romania $13.95 off-dry +651653 Vintages Dec.

-Cramele Odobesti Sarba Monser 2013 Romania $14 +417006 Vintages

-Castel Mimi Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Moldova TBD CARTO Wines  info@cartowines.com

 

GREEK WINES

 

From Cavas Piliadis, all wines are at LCBO 200 Danforth Store (special Greek section)

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Biblia Chora Ovilos 2012 Pangeon White [50assyr/50sem], $38.89 +151125

-Biblio Chora Plagios 2012 Pangeon White [85chard], $37.65 +151166

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Katsaros Valos 2013, $32.80 +151216

-Ktima Brintziki Enipeas 2014 Pisatis [75roditis], $21.40 +151331

-Parparoussis The Gift of Dionysos 2014 Achaia [sideritis], $25.15 +151265

-Biblia Chora Areti White 2013 Pangeon [assyrtiko], $30.25 +151067

-Ktima Rhous Estate 2014 Crete White [80muscat], $27.45 +151372

-Brintziki Avgoustiatis 2011 Ilia, $27.70 +151356

-Parparoussis Petite Fleur Rose 2014 Achaia, $27.70 +151257

-Domaine Katsaros Chardonnay 2014 Krania, $21.40 +151208

-Ktima Rhous Skipper Red 2013 Crete [70kotsifali], $35.05 +151398

 

*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Oenofilos Paraparousis 2011 Achaia [cab/merlot], $35 +151273

-Tselepos Canava Chrissou 2014 Santorini [assyrtiko], $42.60 +151323

-Biblio Chora Sole Pinot Noir 2012 Pangeon, $43.95 +151117

-Biblia Chora Ktima Rose 2014 Pangeon [syrah], $31.50 +151083

-Ktima Rhous Skipper White 2013 Crete [70vidiano], $32.50 +151380

 

Greek wines not tasted and thus not rated:

 

Brintziki Tinaktorogos   $22.65  +151349

Parparoussis Nemea Reserve  $50.19 +151299

Biblinos Oenos   $45.65  +151109

Biblia Chora Estate White  $30.25  +151141

Areti Red   $35.75 +151075

 

The Food: It was impossible to taste all the food against each and every wine, so we all made our own best choices. I did try for a comparison of two wines with each (a white or a red or the same colour). The Purcari Chardonnay 1827 seemed to be the most obvious choice since it was done up in a mid-Atlantic style as a crowd pleaser. The Plagios and Ovilos were pretty good even with the substantial food. I could not find the heavier Greek reds, so I stuck with the 2009 Cabernets which went better with food than when tasted on their own.

 

Food was presented family buffet style, beginning with Langos (Hungarian): leavened potato cake with Edam cheese and garlic chips. Followed by Tolma: cabbage rolls of lamb in a fenugreek tomato sauce, and skewers of Chicken hearts and livers with a walnut pomegranate sauce (Georgian) – which went with every single wine I tried.

Kalmakha: salad of oyster mushroom, bacon, green chilis, basil and cilantro, was very heavy but dynamite in flavour, best with the roses.

Ajapsandali (Georgian): eggplant potato and pepper stew was substantial, with the heavier reds.

Lobio: beans with corn onion and tarragon, and Beef goulash with caraway and paprika went with all forms of red.

Palacinky was for dessert: cheese and peach crepes, along with the unctuous Tokaji 3 puttonyos. This will be the last release of the 3 putts (and any 4 putts) as the Hungarian regulators have decided develop and promote only the 5 puttonyos level, and that is what will be imported to Ontario.

The Downside: it was a bit chaotic in the tasting, and resulted in my missing a few bottles. If we had had more time, a list could have been drawn up and that could have been used as a checklist.

The Upside: great foods from Cava; Chef Doug Penfold tried really hard to prepare a wide variety of substantial food for us.

The Contact Person: deantudor@deantudor.com

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 91.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com