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Old World: Odd Bottles

An unusual collection of wine tasting notes, from Hungary, England, Greece and even Moldova! There are some wonderful wines to be found from these countries. England is no exception. Click to locate stockists:

Greece

Union de Cooperatives de Vinicoles de Samos Vin Doux NV: Purchased as an experiment this turned out to be a very pleasant wine. A rich, orange-amber colour, and a typical Muscat nose of honey, nuts and orange citrus fruit. The palate has the necessary fresh, almost racy acidity to carry off the rich, floral, orange blossom sweetness. Good texture and weight, and a lingering finish. Good. (12/10/00)

Hungary

Szölöskert Cooperative Matra Mountain Unoaked Pinot Grigio (Nagyréde) 1998: Buttery yellow colour. Fresh nose of apple and pear fruit salad. Good weight on the palate, refreshing acidity, more orchard fruits. Almost creamy on the finish. Delicious, inexpensive summer drinking. Good. (13/7/00)

Disznókö Tokáji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 1993: This is the first vintage made under the direction of J-M Cazes, following the purchase of this estate by AXA Insurance. It has a deep and rich golden amber hue, and unsurprisingly the nose is laden with botrytised fruit, aromas of orange marmalade, apricots and a hint of pineapple. An opulent palate, very big with a luscious texture and an intense, honeyed botrytis richness. Good balancing acidity. Very good. (28/3/01)

Disznókö Tokáji Edes Szamoridni 1990: Edes Szamoridni is essentially a zero-puttonyos wine, which has not been sorted in the vineyard, and can therefore vary in style from dry to sweet depending on the level of botrytis present. This is a paler, orange-brown wine. The nose has a flor-like aroma, and is a touch oxidised. Startlingly dry on the palate, yet in combination with a rich, full texture. Interesting, and may be of interest to sherry-lovers, but I'll stick to Puttonyos wines. Quite good. (28/3/01)

Hilltop Neszmély Tokáji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 1990: Paler than the Royal Tokaji Blue Label. Lovely nose though - lemon and orange marmalade and elegant botrytis. The palate has good balance, with a rich texture that never cloys thanks to good acidity. More marmalade and botrytis notes, and a rich finish. Very good length. Lacks complexity, but makes up for this with lovely structure. Very good. (14/2/01) Label

Royal Tokaji Blue Label Tokáji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 1995: A deep amber and peach colour. The nose carries rich honeyed raisins and almonds, notes of botrytis and a marked flor characteristic. The palate has an unctuous consistency, but does have balancing acidity, together with more luscious honey and raisins. I can't help feeling, however, that it tastes a little unclean, or that there is an old, wet wood note to it. It's interesting, but hardly endearing. Quite good. (6/2/01)

England

Nyetimber Classic Cuvée Brut 1993: I had high hopes for this wine, having immensely enjoyed the Première Cuvée Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs Brut 1992 earlier in the year. Unfortunately, although I have read glowing reports of the Classic Cuvée, it failed to make an impression on me. A hollow midpalate and unpleasantly green, tart astringency made this bottle difficult to drink. Fair. (5/1/01)

Moldova

Negru de Purkar (Moldova) 1975: A deeper, quite youthful colour to this wine, which fades to a pink-orange rim. Aromas of smouldering charcoal and creosote on the nose. There's a suggestion of a full, sweet character, although this doesn't really come through on the palate, which has a hard, tarry, burnt character to what fruit remains. There are also suggestions of stewed coffee and hung game. A little tannin and balanced acidity complete the picture. Eminently more drinkable than the Rioja. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Saperavi (30%) and Rare Niagre (10%). Good. (14/08/02)