Review: 2005 Negru de Purcari of Moldova

Wine: My friend Rob said, "I read your blog and now I know what not to drink." We have not reviewed too many stunners yet. We want Black Sea Wines to guide you to the terrific wines of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. So, after Rob's comment, we were headed to the home of friends and I pulled out a bottle of 2005 Negru de Purcari from Moldova which I carried back in my suitcase from a trip to Chisinau in the hopes of drinking a winner. In an earlier post, I mentioned how I loved the 2003 Negru de Purcari but was disappointed in the 2007. Purcari is one of Moldova's leading wineries, and Negru de Purcari is their Cadillac or Mercedes brand. Negru de Purcari is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Saperavi.

Tasting: We tasted the wine with our friends, Martha and Tom. Both are great cooks. Tom made pizza from scratch with basil and fresh mozzarella. It was amazing. We opened the bottle with the pizza. We drank the wine immediately after opening without decanting.

Result: The Negru de Purcari lived up to its reputation. Debbie liked the wine. I asked Tom what he thought of the wine and he said that it was subtle. The wine did not try to overpower you but had lots of taste. I agree. The Negru de Purcari was wonderfully smooth with lots of fruit. It was dry with just a little bit of sweetness and left a pleasant sensation on the tongue. The wine had good clarity and was delightful a bit colder than room temperature.

Rating: Very Good. I cannot give the wine an "Excellent" because it would have needed to be a "little bigger."

Price Value: $20-25 USD per bottle. Average. The price for the wine is perfectly acceptable but at $20, there are many wines from California, South Africa and Australia just as good.

Review: Egervin Bulls Blood 2007 from Hungary

Wine: One of the most famous wines from Hungary is Bulls Blood by Egervin. Egri Bikaver, translated as Bulls Blood, comes from the town of Eger, Hungary and dates back to the 1850s. Although the legend of the phrase Bulls Blood is derived from much earlier times when the citizens of Eger fought the Ottoman Empire and drank red wine for strength. Bulls Blood is available throughout the world and is self-classified as a dry red table wine. Along with the Tokaji dessert wines, Bulls Blood is among the most well known Hungarian wines in the United States. What makes Bulls Blood particularly interesting is that it can have any three of ten grapes: Kadarka, Kékfrankos (or Blaufränkisch, Blauer Portugieser, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Menoire, Pinot Noir, Blauburger and Zweigelt. Kadarka, a native Hungarian grape is traditional, but other grapes are substituted when supplies are insufficient. The wine was purchased at Liquor Outlet and Wine Cellars in Boonton, NJ. (A terrific wine store.)

Tasting: We tasted the wine at home with dinner. (Sorry I forgot to take notes on dinner.)

Results: The wine's label suggests opening Bulls Blood one hour before drinking. We opened the bottle two hours before drinking. When we tasted the wine, we were disappointed. It was harsh and clearly not yet ready to drink. We vacuum sealed the bottle and tried it again three days later. All the harshness had disappeared. The wine was dark, rich and warm with great legs on the glass. There was a taste of cherries and currants with some tannins. It had a medium to heavy body with a strong aroma.

Rating: Good

Price Value: At $8-10 USD per bottle, it's a good price value; not tremendous but good. I found a 2004 bottle in the store and will review that one next month. I can't wait!

First Experience with Bulls Blood Wine of Hungary in 1994

I visited Hungary for the first time in 1994. I had been overseas a number of times but I was still a beer guy and was a relatively young member of a US Department of Defense team working in Hungary. Thus, I never ordered the wine and was happy to drink whatever was placed in front of me. Our team leader, Frank, in addition to being a great mentor and living proof that you can be a nice guy and get results from people, was well traveled and conversant in wines. Frank wanted to try Bulls Blood which we all had heard about a great deal.

Our team members had been told that unscrupulous waiters and sommeliers would try to cheat us by serving us rotgut or watered down wine at high prices. We had not had this experience in Hungary or Romania to this point and laughed this off as a tourist 'urban legend.'

Sure enough, we went to a fancy restaurant in downtown Budapest. The uniformed waiter brought us a bottle of Bulls Blood that had "just been opened." The wine tasted OK to me but Frank took one taste and knew that the wine was watered down. He requested another bottle and asked the waiter to open it in front of us. The waiter did not even protest. The waiter brought us a second bottle and it tasted exactly the same as the first. We immediately challenged the waiter with a little more agitation. We were a group of eight males; some quite large. Flummoxed, the waiter asked us if we wanted another bottle. Frank asked for a carafe of the cheapest house wine. The waiter happily supplied it and guess what? It tasted exactly the same as the wine in the Bulls Blood bottles.

Review: Chateau Topolcianky Tramin Cerveny 2006 from Slovakia

Chateau Topolcianky Tramin  2006

Wine: I am in the process of moving to Athens and stopped off for two days of business in Bratislava. I decided to try some Slovak wine. I went to the Tesco at the My Bratislava shopping center and found an excellent selection of Slovak and Czech wines at varying price points. Since I am predisposed to drink red wine, I decided to try a white, a Tramin Cerveny 2006 by Chateau Topolciansky of Slovakia. Tramin, also known as Traminer or Gewurztraminer, is one of my favorite Eastern European whites.

Tasting: It was a wine tasting for this review. My second tasting was with pizza.

Results: The Tramin Cerveny is nice. I would describe it as fruity and spicy. There were tastes of grapefruit and banana. I would have preferred the wine to be a bit drier and more flowery but it is enjoyable. (The Tramin is not as crisp or complex as the Traminer Rezerva by Chateau Vartely of Moldova.) Chateau Topolcianky's Tramin has a pleasantly acidic aftertaste that lingers specifically on the tongue yet is a gentle wine. The wine's color is a deeper yellow than I expected but has good clarity and a stronger than expected aroma.

Rating: Drinkable+ to Good. When I went to the hotel bar to ask for a corkscrew, the waiter looked at the wine's label and smiled assuredly at me.

Price Value: For 5 Euros a bottle, it's a good value.

Black Sea Wines Update - Moving to Greece - Sorry about the pause between posts

We have not posted for awhile because Barry is in the process of moving to Greece. The good news is that he will have even greater access to the wines of the region.

Other items about us:

• Black Sea Wines is listed on an excellent Eastern European food blog on About.com by Barbara Rolek. We are planning to do a joint post for an Easter meal pairing food and wine. Look for it.
• There's a short article about us in Romanian (which I wrote myself!) on the Bucharest restaurant blog called Restograf. If you are looking for a restaurant in Bucharest, this is the site. (The picture of me is not current nor flattering. I assure you that I have not walked into a shopping mall and opened fire.)
• We have updated our list of regional wine associations and organizations. Please send us links to your organization. We will update the calendar of events in coming weeks.
• New reviews are coming shortly.

Please sign up for an email subscription, leave comments and feel free to submit content. Noroc, na zdrave, cheers!

Tell Us About Wine Stores with A Great Collection of Eastern European Wines - Anywhere

If you know of a wine store or merchant that features Eastern European, Black Sea or Central Asian wines, please let us know. Send us the name of the store, street address and website (if applicable). We would like to build a global database of where you can find the wines of the Black Sea. Thanks!

Black Sea Wines Brings You Items from the Web for 21 March 2011

Black Sea Wines brings you some of the latest news and opinions from the Web.

• Food & Wine magazine lists the best wines of 2010 from Eastern Europe according to a well-known Chicago sommelier.

• Frommer's, the travel site, lists the best local places for beer and wine in Eastern Europe.

• At a recent Moldovan Chamber of Commerce event, I was told of hopes to build an underground transport system to tour the wine cellars of Cricova.

• If you live in the New York City area, there is a class on the wines of Croatia and Hungary on March 26th.

• Austria's former commercial attache to Romania saw opportunity and launched the wine brand LacertA and is now opening a wine-tasting venue.

• Black Sea Wines recently reviewed the Avia Pinot Noir 2009. Why Wine Blog reviewed the 2008 edition.

• The 2011 Chardonnay du Monde competition for the world's best Chardonnay's was held in France last week. One of the top ten Gold Medal winners, Chardonnay Vyber z Hroznu 2006 by Vinarstvi Josef Valihrach, was from the Czech Republic. Bulgaria was cited as a Central European standout.

• Blogger Carolyn Snowabiad praises Turkish wine and provides a link to a CNN piece on the revival of Turkish wines.

Interview with Marc Dworkin, Export Sales Manager of Bessa Vallley Wines, Bulgaria

Black Sea Wines interviewed Marc Dworkin, the former General Manager and current Export Sales Manager of Bessa Valley Wines in Bulgaria. Mr. Dworkin, a French national and renowned wine consultant, worked with Dr. Karl-Heinz Hauptmann and Count Stephan von Neipperg to create and develop Bessa Valley Wines. Bessa Valley is best known by its label name, Enira, which has received international acclaim. Enira's flagship wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

BSW: Thank you for speaking with us. Can you tell us about your winery?

MD: We have 150 hectares of terroir in the Bessa Valley and have been growing since 2001. In 2001, we only produced Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah varietals. From 2003-2007, we were looking for a style. We found our style with the 2008 vintage. We developed our blend with not too much Cabernet and a lower percentage of new wood. We produce 650-700,000 bottles annually and do not use any purchased grapes.

BSW: What makes the Bessa Valley special for winemaking?

MD: It's the terroir (soil). In November-December 2000, we were walking down the hill and I noticed the chalkiness and limestone in the soil. When we started growing in 2001, I realized the soil was even better than we originally thought. All I wanted to do was not make any mistakes.

BSW: Can you describe your current collection of wines?

MD: I will describe our collection for international markets. We have other wines that are sold primarily in Bulgaria. Easy by Enira is a Merlot varietal. It is aged 80% in barrels and 20% in tanks. It is young and fruity. In June, we will change from the 2008 to the 2009 vintage. There is also a Rose by Enira which will switch from 2009 to 2010 in June.

Cabernet by Enira is a velvet cabernet which we achieved by 12 months of barrel aging and less maceration and extraction. Our standard Enira blend is mostly Merlot which is aged 90% in the barrel and 10% in tanks. We will switch from 2007 to 2008 in June. The Enira Reserva is a blend of Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. In June, the 2007 Enira Reserva will be available. BV by Enira is our super premium wine which is aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels.

We also have a pure Syrah varietal, only 3000 bottles were produced, that is aged 18 months in the barrel. We are currently selling the 2008 Syrah.

BSW: Why have Enira wines made a name for themselves internationally?

MD: We put real soul into the wine. We try to put in the smooth tannins that come from the chalky soil. Our wine has become known because people taste it. Importers would ask "Why do I need to know about Bulgarian wine?" I would say, "Just taste the wine." They would try the wine and could not believe the taste or the price. The wine is fruity, woody and balanced with the right amount of alcohol. It's all about the balance.

BSW: What is the price point for Enira wines?

MD. The standard blend is 12-14 Euros, Reserva 18-20 Euros, and the BV 30 Euros. This is approximate as the price can vary in different markets.

BSW: What can we look for in the future from Bessa Valley?

MD: We will plant some whites in 2012. We expect to produce Chardonnay and Viognier in 2015. There may be some new blends on the Bulgarian market.

BSW: Is there anything else you would like people to know about your winery?

MD: We are very proud that effective in September we will provide the Business Class red wine for Lufthansa in 2012. For a young winery from a small country, this is a huge success and recognition of our achievement. This is both a commercial recognition and a recognition of our wine. Also, we are selling more and more in Asia.

Black Sea wines thanks Mr. Dworkin and Bessa Valley Wines for his time. If you would like to learn where you can purchase Bessa Valley Wines, click this link.

Revisited Review of Matrasa from Azerbaijan

The original Black Sea Wines review of the Matrasa by Ganja Sharab of Azerbaijan was a Drinkable-. We found it a bit harsh with an antiseptic taste. After the initial tasting, I sealed the bottle with a vacuum stopper. Three days later, I wanted one glass of wine with dinner. Debbie was not joining me. I did not want to open a new bottle. Reticently, I poured a glass of the three-day old Matrasa.

All the harshness from the initial tasting was gone. The wine was smooth and rich; leaving a warm aftertaste on my tongue. It was a Drinkable+ on the second go-round.

I tried the wine a third time four days later but by then it was nasty. So, my advice for a recent vintage Matrasa. 1.) Store it for a year. 2.) Decant well in advance of drinking.
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Review: 2009 Avia Pinot Noir from Slovenia ... No, Macedonia

2009 Avia Pinot Noir from Macedonia

Wine: With dinner this week, we drank a 2009 Pinot Noir by Avia of Slovenia. Black Sea Wines purchased the Avia for $4.99 at Bottle King, a regional chain of stores selling wine, beer and liquor in the New York area in the United States. Avia is a Slovenian wine company but purchases grapes from all over. Avia's Shiraz uses Chilean grapes. The Pinot Noir is listed as a product of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The wine is produced in the Vardar Valley which is a Macedonian wine region near the Greek border.

Tasting Details: We opened the bottle, a screw top, immediately before dinner. Dinner was informal -- tuna sandwiches, rice cheese bake squares and salad. Debbie also tasted the wine.

Results: The wine was acceptable. It was dark for a Pinot Noir. I could barely see my finger through the wine even when holding the glass up to the light. Characteristics of this Pinot Noir were 12% alcohol content, a slightly acidic smell and the taste of yogurt. On the positive side, the Avia was dry, peppery, and had sufficient body. On the negative side, there was little balance. I detected minimal sweetness or fruit. To me, what makes Pinot Noir delightful is the ability to taste the sweetness and fruit yet still have a dry wine that works well with food. Debbie thought the wine was OK.

Overall rating: Drinkable

Price value: Decent price value. It was $4.99! What do you expect?

We will review Avia's 2009 Pinot Grigio next.
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Interview with Nimrod Kovacs, Owner of Kovacs Nimrod Winery

Nimrod Kovacs

Kovacs Nimrod Winery, based in Eger, Hungary, offers wine drinkers whites and reds, varietals and blends made from well-known French and traditional Hungarian grapes. Black Sea Wines spoke with Mr. Nimrod Kovacs, the owner of the winery. Born in Hungary, Mr. Kovacs moved to the United States where he lived for over twenty years and became an advertising and telecommunications executive. During his international business travels, he developed a love for wine and a self-described ‘California taste.’ Kovacs decided to return to his native Hungary and invest in, among others, the Eger-based Monarchia winery. He retired from the telecommunications industry and became the proprietor of the winery which now bears his name.

BSW: We read your website. Can you elaborate on the story of how you became involved in winemaking?

NK: I was an investor in Hungarian wine, through the Monarchia merchant company for 10 years, which also oversaw the Monarchia winery in Eger. Two years ago, I left the corporate world and bought out the winery. It became my pet project.  Eger is similar to Burgundy and Northern Rhone. We have three tracts of land in the region where we grow grapes.

BSW: Tell us about your collection of wines.

NK: We are still refining our wines and moving to the next phase of quality. At the top of the pyramid, is the Nagy Eged hill with its Grand Cru characteristics where, we are trying to take lessons from designers like Armani and Versace by creating high quality, haute couture, unique, not mass market wines. Furmint and NJK are our two, top of the line, Grand Cru type wines so far. We are also working on some more reds from Nagy Eged, such as Pinot Noir, Kekfrankos, Syrah and Cab Franc, which will come out in a few years time.

In the middle of the pyramid are the Estate Selection wines including our 2007 Battonage Chardonnay, 2007 Pinot Noir and 2008 Syrah. The Pinot Noir is in made in an international style. It’s fruity, luscious and big with a nice body. Our Syrah is a fruity and peppery, Cote de Rotie style.

We are also developing everyday wines called EGRI for the bottom of the pyramid with purchased grapes that will sell at hypermarkets and large retail outlets for less than $10 a bottle.

BSW: We don’t grow Furmint in the States and it is not available in much of Western Europe. What is your Furmint like? Sweet? Dry?

NK: Our Furmint from Nagy Eged is a complex wine with aromas and flavors of pear and apricot with some flinty overtones and with a long finish. 2009 was our first year for the Furmint and we produced only 480 bottles. It’s a very nice wine and is more subdued and fruity than the Tokaj.

BSW: What should we look for in 2011 from Kovacs Nimrod winery?

NK: In March 2011, from our Estate selection, we introduced the 2008 Battonage Chardonnay which is more subtle and elegant than the 2007. Also, around September, we will bring out, our Estate Selection 2007 Kekfrankos. Finally, around Christmastime, we will offer two limited productions wines from Nagy Eged, the 2010 Furmint (1200 bottles) and the 2008 Kekfrankos (300 bottles). The Kekfrankos has been harvested from the very top of the Nagy Eged Hill (500 meters) which is the highest Kekfrankos terroir in Hungary.

BSW: Where can we buy your wines?

We sell in neighboring countries especially in Germany, Czech Republic and Poland, and of course, all over Hungary. We just shipped 5000 bottles to the US. I also am a 33% partner in Starry Night Winery, based in San Rafael, California who will help in the distribution of Kovacs Nimrod Wines in the USA.

BSW: Are there other wines in Central and Eastern Europe that you like or find interesting?

NK: There are many fine wineries in Hungary. From Eger, St. Andrea has great wines. Zoltan Demeter makes sophisticated wines in Tokaj. Istvan Szepsy is also a great winemaker in Tokaj. From Villany, Attila Gere and Sauska make nice wines. From the Szekszard region, Takler wines are big and luscious.

Black Sea Wines thanks Mr. Kovacs for his time and participation. You can find out more about Nimrod Kovacs Wines at www.kovacsnimrodwinery.com.

Regional Wine Associations and Organizations

• All About Greek Wine
• Georgian Wine Association
• Greek Winemakers 
• Hungarian Wine Society
• Moldovan Small Wine Producers Association 
• Moldovan Wine Guild
• Romanian Winegrowers 
• Romanian Wine Exporters and Producers Association (Wine Romania) 
• Tokaj Wine and Women Association (Hungary) 
• Wines of Balkans
• Wines of Croatia
• Wines of Czech Republic 
• Wines of Serbia
• Wines of Turkey 

We will be adding to the list. Please send the name and URL of your wine association or organization!

Review: Matrasa by Ganja Sharab from Azerbaijan

Matrasa by Ganja Sharab of Azerbaijan

Wine: I sampled a Matrasa, a red wine from Azerbaijan, from Ganja Sharab, a well known Azeri vineyard. There was no vintage on the bottle but a date stamp of May 2010. I purchased the wine in a market in the downtown section of Baku, Azerbaijan's capital. Baku is a beautiful city and the downtown area is modern yet retains an oriental feel. I carried the wine back to the US in my luggage. I really wanted to like this wine because Azeri wines are not common in the West and it comes in a really cool looking ceramic bottle. Besides, I schlepped it 5000 miles. Unfortunately, I did not find the wine appealing.

Tasting Details: We drank the Matrasa with dinner at home-- pasta with marinara sauce, roasted brussel sprouts, feta cheese and salad. My wife also tasted the wine.

Results: Neither Debbie nor I enjoyed the Matrasa. The aroma had a faint rubbing alcohol smell. The wine had little fruit and no complexity. It had an alkaline taste with a strong aftertaste. In short, a basic red wine that seemed antiseptic. The color was a dark red but seemed a little light. We did not finish the bottle and used a vacuum stopper to store the wine for future drinking. On the third day, the wine actually tasted significantly better. So, if you have a bottle of Matrasa by Ganja Sharab, make sure to decant or open the bottle well in advance of drinking the wine.

Overall rating: Drinkable- (minus)

Price value: You can have better Azeri wines at the same price - around $8 per bottle.
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Review: Corten Pinot Noir 2007 from Moldova

2007 Corten Pinot Noir Ready for Tasting

Wine: The wine tasted was a Corten Pinot Noir 2007 from the Cahul region of Moldova. Corten is produced by Acorex, one of Moldova's largest wineries. Acorex sells internationally and offers a Chardonnay that is an excellent value.

Tasting: The wine was drunk from a paper cup at a Moldovan Chamber of Commerce event with the Moldovan Ambassador to the US. The Moldovan Embassy was kind enough to provide samples of the Corten at the conclusion of the event. No food was consumed with the wine, and the wine was opened immediately before drinking.

Results: Not bad but the wine should have been better. The wine tasted like it was starting to turn bad. This 2007 Pinot Noir is meant for drinking now. Perhaps improper storage at the Embassy and transportation to various social events damaged the taste of the wine. There was a slight 'skunkiness' to a wine which seemed to have potential. Beyond the skunkiness, the Corten had nice color (in the paper cup!), a decent bouquet and elements of citrus. The wine gave the impression that it would go nicely with soups, chicken and fish.

Overall Rating: Drinkable. Snooth rated the Corten 2007 Pinot Noir 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. If I had tasted a better bottle, perhaps I would have done the same.

Price Value: N/A
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From the Web: Black Sea Wine Items for 18 February 2011

Recent items include:

• Romanian millionaire Ioan Niculae of the InterAgro companies invested $9 million to launch the Crama Voievodului wine label. Nobilitas will be the first brand on the shelves.
• Bulgarian wine exports grew 10% in 2010. 
• A review of the Turkish white, Kavaklidere Narince 2008.
• If you want to know more about the wines of Turkey, visit Turkish Wine Forum.
• Suzy Atkins reaffirms Hungary's Tokaji wines as an accompaniment to dessert.
• Isabelle Legeron, wine expert for the Travel Channel, has a video blog of her travels from Budapest to the Black Sea.
• Even the Wall Street Journal is hip to the Prague wine scene.

From the Web: Black Sea Wine Items for 15 February 2011

Recent items include:

• On Michael Green's blog, Tod Godbout extols the virtues of Kekfrankos or Blue Frankisch wines from Northwestern Hungary and who produces them in the US.
• Atlas Tours offers wine-themed cruises between Budapest and Prague.
• If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and are interested in Eastern European wines, you must check out Blue Danube Wine Company. They even taught a classes on the wines of Eastern Europe last week.
• The US Ambassador to Bulgaria, owner of a 500 bottle wine cellar, praised the quality of Bulgarian wine.
• Red wine helps fight breast cancer? We knew resveratrol was good for the heart. Apparently, when it's combined with rapamycin, a breast cancer drug, there's an anti-tumor effect.

This is why our blog exists! The Telegraph: Are there any good wines from Eastern Europe?

The Telegraph in the UK answers the question, "Are there any good wines from Eastern Europe?" The answer is Yes with an endorsement of Frunza Pinot Grigio from Romania and Verus wines from Slovenia.

Wine Compass: Eastern European Wines Shine at the Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival

Our colleagues at Wine Compass thought wines from Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia were among the standouts at the recent Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival. Like me, they are fans of Plavac from Croatia.

Georgia's Winexpo 2011 in June

Winexpo Georgia brings growers and producers to the country's biggest and best wine exhibition. Winexpo Georgia will be held in Tbilisi at the Georgia International Convention Center from 2-4 June 2011.

Don't Miss the Zagreb Wine Gourmet Festival on February 25th!

The 4th Zagreb Wine Gourmet Festival begins on February 25th. More than 500 wines will be available at the festival; mostly from Croatia, but also from Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Spain and South Africa. If you have not had Croatian wine, it is excellent.