Kadarka. To my everlasting shame, this grape didn’t ring a bell. And by ‘everlasting shame’ I mean thinking: ‘Huh. Can’t say I know it.’ Since they say you learn something new every day, I then when back to bed. I had learned something new, and fulfilled my quota. My work was done.
Sometime later, I was reminded that wine doesn’t drink itself. By which I mean I looked over my wine supply and thought ‘Huh. I haven’t tried that one yet.’ So I did. This is its story.
In the glass
Light, cloudy, although really, it’s more overcast than cloudy. Colour-wise, I’m calling a muted ruby, although when you tilt the glass, it takes on an almost brick appearance.
The nose
Very faint nose, what can only be called ‘medium red.’ I can’t really pick out anything more specific than that. There’s a hint of funk to it as well, but in a way that suggests complexity, or at least interesting-ness, rather than being a bad thing.
The palate
Light, dry. Cherry for taste, with something that’s perhaps blackcurrants. Or maybe jostaberries. (A hybrid of redcurrant, blackcurrant and perhaps gooseberry, for those less schooled in the more esoteric sort of berry. Although some sources also say the hybrid is just between blackcurrant and gooseberries.)
On mouthfeel, it leaves a fuller sensation that it gives at first. It has decent acidity, giving it freshness and a nice lift. There’s a hint of the tannins as well, but they aren’t harsh or overly intrusive.
In wine tasting, one acronym you are taught is BLIC: Balance, Length, Intensity, Complexity. Those are the factors you are supposed to consider in doing an overall evaluation of a wine. I’m not sure about the complexity here – it doesn’t come across as a wildly complex wine, but the other three elements are there. Perhaps someone with better retronasal olfaction could argue for more complexity. The wine is nice enough as it is, so I’m not going to raise a fuss. Well, about this. I often raise a fuss in general.
Rating
Easily a Yummy-plus. A Pretty on visuals, although perhaps, if I had made a ranking of ‘Intriguing,’ it would get that instead. It’s a satisfying wine.
Of late, I have been Coravin-ing the wine I’ve been writing about, since all my usual guest tasters are scattered to various parts of the world. I did that again for this one, but two days later pulled the cork just to enjoy some with dinner. That should tell you something. Good both on its own and with food. I had it with spaeztle in a blue cheese sauce, and that worked a treat.
Sustainability
Unfined, unfiltered, no added sulphites. Farmed following biodynamic principles,
The technical info
12% ABV, Kadarka, £26.49 from King Street Cellar.
The other stuff
I don’t think I’ve ever seen this on a wine bottle before. (The top bit, I mean.)
