Points east – autumn collection

Soft and sweet and round. Fading but very ripe tasting. Very clean. (JR)

Some development, some freshness. Sweet and transparent. Slightly rusty nail. (JR)

Pale ruby. Slight dishcloth/wet wool note. A bit simple. (JR)

66% Merlot, 12% Syrah, 12% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Bessa Valley. The vines are 6-10 years old, planted on clay/limestone soils, on a gentle south-facing slope at 5,000 vines/ha. Grapes hand-picked at optimum ripeness. Cold maceration of whole berries took place for 5 – 8 days at 16 °C. Fermented in concrete vats at 28 – 30 °C for 8-10 days with regular pumpovers and pigeage. Natural malo in tank and aged in oak barrels for 12 months (10% 1-year-old, 24% 2-year-old, 66% 3-year-old). Winemaker Stephan von Neipperg. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. TA 5.6 g/l, RS 3.2 g/l.
Very healthy, glossy crimson. Some very smart oak, lightly applied. Firm, fresh fruit. Lots of everything: fruit, acidity and tannin. Definitely able to develop more. A fair price. QGV (JR) 14.5%

The Tbilvino vineyards are planted at an altitude of 300-750m and the average vine age is 25 years. This region experiences warm and moderately humid summers, and cold winters. There is an average of 2000 hours of sunshine per annum, and annual precipitation is around 700-1100mm. The grapes ripened from mid September until the beginning of October, when harvest began. Fermentation took place with stems, skins and pips, partially in stainless steel tanks and partially in traditional Georgian clay vessels or, 'Qvevri' that were buried in the ground. 10% of the wine was aged for two months in French oak barrels with medium toast, and prior to bottling the wine was stabilised for two months at 4-5 °C and filtered at 0.45 microns.
Deep coppery gold already. Mildly nutty nose but much less extreme than most qvevri wines. In fact I'm not sure they shouldn’t have gone the whole hog. And maybe it should not have been priced below the conventional Georgian white? Lots of grip on the palate and a certain whiff of furniture polish. Impossible (for me) to discern the variety. A curiosity rather than a pleasure. (JR) 12.5%

The Château Mukhrani vineyards were planted in 2002 at a density of 3,100 vines per hectare, and are pruned on the double Guyot system with upright cane growth. They are worked manually from pruning to the harvest. Following harvest the grapes were de-stemmed and the must was then immediately chilled to 5-6°C. De-juicing was followed by temperature controlled juice settling, where oxidation was thoroughly avoided. The clarified juice was than fermented at 13-14°C with selected yeast species, and the wine was left to mature on lees before bottling.
Reductive smoky nose with real tension. Great presence on the palate. Really mouthfilling but not at all sweet. Made in the modern not ancient way. Medium persistence. This would surely intrigue anyone. Fair price. (JR) 13%

The Château Mukhrani vineyards are planted adjacent to the winery and it takes under 12 minutes to transport the grapes from vine to crusher following harvest. Due to the long maturation period in general in the Mukhrani vineyards, each variety is picked at a different time and receives carefully pre-planned treatment in the winery. Once destemmed a portion of the grapes underwent a brief pre-fermentation cold soak. Fermentation took place with selected yeast strains at 22-24°C, during which pumping over, delestage, cap punching and partial oxygenation were practised. Pressing took place on either membrane or in basket presses, and 30 to 40% of the pressings were reintroduced to the free run juice. Malolactic fermentation only began seven to eight months after fermentation was completed, and the wine was then filtered and bottled.
Dark blackish purple. The fruit smells a little stewed. But on the palate it's very satisfying – much less tart and aggressive than many Saperavis and – just – testament enough of the undoubted qualities of this noble variety. Dry finish. Correct. (JR) 13.5%

Tank sample. Inviting fruit quality and freshness. Slight greenness on the nose but not on the palate. On the nose, very strong hay aroma. Fresh and slightly sour fruit, wonderfully fresh, tannic not aggressive. Moreish. (JH)

From Akhasheni village. Nose is overwhelmed by sweet oak spice. Though maybe some of the vanilla is from the Saperavi. Underneath the oak is intense wild berry dark fruit. Still has really nice fruit and seems very young. I would like less oak for the variety to shine even brighter but it is more expressive of Sapervi on the palate. But it is overoaked for my taste, and aggressive on the finish, otherwise I might have scored it higher. (JH) 13.5%

Very deeply coloured. Dark fruit but also a touch meaty with a slight herbal note. Great freshness and chewy fine tannins. Savoury and a bit wild. (JH) 12%

Fermented in qvevri. Deep smudgy garnet. Lots of savoury black olive aromas as well as very ripe cherry with some inviting tertiary notes of scented wood and positive decay and autumn leaves. Complex and delicious on the palate, perfumed in a savoury cedary way – a slight thickness to the tannins though they are fully resolved. Bags of character and texture and pleasure if not refined. Rustic integrity. Complex development but still room to develop further. (JH) 12.5%

Semi-sweet red (RS 40 g/l) made from Mujuretuli and Alexandreuli. While I am not particularly keen on red wines that are supposed to be dry but have a dollop of residual sugar, I am a sucker for these semi-sweet reds. Pale to mid ruby, still has that inviting sweet cherry aroma. The tannins, still quite evident though they are resolved and integrated, counterbalance the sweetness, as does the fresh acidity. It has gained a slightly nutty complexity (walnuts) with age but still has a surprising amount of primary red fruit. (JH) 11%

Unnecessarily heavy bottle. Winemaker Lado Uzunashvili (also of Ch Mukhrani and more recently GWS). Deep cherry colour. Looks much younger than 2007 judging by the colour alone. Lovely dry texture from paper-fine but present tannins. Spicy dark cherry fruit, chewy and fresh and long. Very satisfying whole. It's polished and definitely modern and has perhaps subdued the Saperavi character a little. (JH) 13%

Attractive and unusual old-fashioned sort of flask-shaped bottle with a slim neck. Oaked. Deep garnet. Rich spice and both red and black small-berried fruit, more hedgerow than cultivated. Chewy but smooth texture, bright acidity, just a hint of savoury bitterness on the finish. Like the Teliani Valley 2006, there is a bloody (iron) aroma. Long finish and full of flavour without overly sweet fruit or excessive oak. Well made and still youthful. Refined finish. (JH) 13%

Fruit from Tsinandali subregion. Aged in oak, unfiltered. Mid garnet with a pinkish rim. Quite a bit of undergrowth and some furniture polish, very little primary fruit aroma remaining. A little bit bloody. Refreshing acidity, tannins softened, but it has lost most of its fruit appeal. More complex but also less pleasure. I would say it is lasting rather than improving now. (JH) 12.5%

Slightly soft and floral. Great packaging but not as energetic as I'd like. (JR)

A little muted on the nose for a Furmint. Tame Furmint, I'd say. And it finishes rather suddenly. Not quite enough fire. (JR)

Attractive, rich cooked apple fruits and woodspice. Lovely clarity of flavour. Carefully made and well balanced – holds its alcohol. (RH) 14.5%

Dry, medium bodied, stone fruit. Nice savoury finish with a pithy sort of phenolic grip on the palate. Appetising and easygoing. (RH) 13.5%

Neutral nose with a slight aromatic signature à la Muscat. Dry, light, pretty normal. (RH) 13%

Has the sort of ripe melon and yellow fruit with a creamy vanilla edge that is very Chardonnay-esque. Good, balanced, drinkable, but not very distinct. (RH) 13%

Fresh apple and lemon, with a stony character that evokes Chablis. Good, proper mineral complexity and fresh fruit. (RH) 14%

Green apples, ripe creamy fruit, a lick of oak – this gets it just right. Complex, balanced, esoteric, individual. Very tasty indeed. (RH) 14.5%

Very much a Viognier lookalike, with a creamy, soft palate. Fragrant, floral, lightly honeyed. Very tasty. Great flavour ripeness at such a low alcohol. (RH) 11.5%

Interesting green citrus and tropical fruit combination. Very distinctive, pleasingly unusual, if not hugely interesting. (RH) 13%

Utterly screwball flor / oxidative character. Old blue cheese on the palate. Too weird for its own good. (RH) 15%

Nutty and broad on the palate – tangible peanut character. Floury texture – lees stirring? Smooth, lightly bitter finish. (RH) 14%

Off-dry, fruity and very pleasant yellow fruit character – melon, apricot. Good. (RH) 12%

Overripe apple, some oxidative, bruised character too. Rabbit hutch – damp straw. Charismatic, but flirting with faultiness. (RH) 12.5%

Plenty of aromatic concentration for such low alcohol. Pretty low acidity. Not what you might typically expect from the variety, but drinkable enough in a basic way. (RH) 12%

Oxidative, honeyed nose. Has that phenolic grip and dried fruit peel character of sweet Tokaji, but is too alcoholic and extracted, without enough fruit concentration, leaving it clumsy and awkward. (RH) 14.5%

Very opulent Muscat nose of grape juice, flowers and sweet spice. Finishes dry, and with a long, fragrant finish. Very on-trend: if only this had a more Anglo-friendly name, this could sell by the truckload. (RH) 13%

Interesting! Nuts, mint, blackcurrant leaf – so characterful! Fantastic savoury finish. Layered, texturally, authentically different. (RH) 14%

This is a real oddity. It is sold as an EU Tafelwein carrying the address of the Austrian winemaker because the grapes were grown across the border in Hungary. I see that in my previous tasting note I obediently listed it as an EU Tafelwein....
Dark ruby. A hint of the large old oak barrels in which it was matured and then the trademark freshness of Blaufränkisch (called Kékfrankos in Hungary). Damson fruit. Very clean and no ersatz sweetness. (JR) 12.5%

12-year-old Malbec vines have at last delivered apparently. Sweaty. Sweet. Not enough refreshment. Watery end. (JR) 13%

Closed nose. Fragrant, oak-dominated palate. Very commercial, very international. Savoury finish with grainy tannins. Certainly ripe and polished, making it too international to be typically Hungarian. Warm finish too. (RH) 14.5%

Dry, black fruit, soft tannins. Rather conventional, standard European red. No particular distinguishing features, and a slightly bitter finish. (RH)

14%

Slightly leafy with a dark black fruit core. Not dissimilar to bordeaux. Firm structure, with a little spicy complexity hinting at what might be to come. (RH)

14%

Rich, plummy fruit. Soft tannins with a full body. Plump. Savoury finish keeps it Old World, but the fruit is very modern and sleek. (RH)

14.5%

Open, countryside sort of aromas – in a nice way – like meadows and farmyards, but nothing too animal. Crisp but well-controlled acid. Light body, crunchy red fruit. Appetising. (RH) 12.5%

Very, very prominent sweet vanilla (Hungarian?) oak. Mulling spices. Creamy. Far too heavily oak influenced for most palates – more like Bourbon than wine in some ways. (RH) 14%

Strong medicinal character. Wood varnish too. Probably too stylised to appeal broadly. Hard tannic finish. (RH)

13%

Ageing very well – lovely earthy scent. Fruit is drying out rapidly though. Soft tannins, lovely mouthfeel. Shows how respectable the variety can be, but is at the end of its useful life. (RH) 12.5%

Oaked. Riper black fruit than their junior version. Firm tannins. A very serious attempt, but suffers from being a bit overworked. (RH) 13%

Pleasantly leafy nose, and ripe raspberry fruit. Cinnamon stick character. Just a tad underripe, with strong acidic profile, but drinkable enough. (RH) 12%

Nice earthy development on the nose – appealing and savoury. Pretty light fruit and short finish, but at least the flavour is characterful while it lasts. (RH) 13%

High acid, neutral fruit. Very sharp palate, with an un-fresh oxidative edge. (RH) 11.5%

Smederevka is the main indigenous grape variety in Macedonia, and although Rkaciteli originated in Georgia it is very well adapted to the sandy clay soils in Tikves. Due to the very hot summer temperatures in this region all the vineyards are drip irrigated and the foliage is left unthinned. Harvesting is done by hand and oxygenation is strictly avoided throughout vinification. The grapes were gently pressed in pneumatic presses and then racked, with both processes taking place under nitrogen. Fermentation with selected yeast strains took place in stainless steel tanks at 12-14ºC and the wine was left to mature on lees for four to five months before bottling.
Slightly industrial nose. Certainly not underpriced. Pears. (JR) 12%

The vines here grow on a mixture of alluvial and clay soils. Debudding is practised on the vines and the average yield is around 8hl/ha. The grapes for this wine were hand harvested, and underwent a two to three cold maceration before fermentation, which took place in stainless steel tanks at 25-28ºC. During the first phase of fermentation one or two délestages were performed. Thereafter the cap was punched down regularly.
Very, very deep blackish crimson. Mouthfilling with a little bit of sweetness and lots of grip. You'd need food with this. Falls away a little on the finish. Not quite as fiery and characterful as I remember the Vranac of old as being. (JR) 14%