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Greece and Croatia
K & L Wine Merchants (Hollywood, CA)
Tasted April 12, 2008 by tcfishler with 780 views
Introduction
What an opportunity to taste with little or no preconceptions. The regions and grapes represented here, most of which were new to me, prompted a set of rather odd but mostly positive reactions. On the other hand, the internationally styled wines stuck out like a sore thumb here, although the Zlatan's strength of material kept it satisfying at a very basic level. Surprise of the tasting was the Tselepos Brut, as Greece might have been the last place I'd look for a super QPR sparkler like this one.
Flight 1 - Sparkling (1 note)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Tselepos Amalia Brut Methode Traditionelle
90 points
Highly aromatic, full of just slightly musky pear and kiwi. Non-Cartizze Prosecco-level sweetness here, but there's a great snappy fruit/sugar/acid dynamic at play throughout this wine's stay in the mouth. Starts out full and rich, then it gets bright, and finally it's pogo-sticking around the palate. Big value in sparkling wine, and an even bigger surprise!
Flight 2 - White (5 notes)
White
2006 Toljanić Žlahtina
84 points
Heavy, thick florality and a suggestion of an aerosol spray. Dry and mineral driven but possessed of quite modest concentration. Noticeably low in acid but dry enough not to come across as heavy. Finishes on a hefeweizen-like banana/clove note.
White
2005 PZ Pošip Čara Pošip Marko Polo
89 points
There's a fresh ripeness to the background pear fruit that keep this mostly earthy and leesy nose from descending into disturbingly low tones. Interestingly, the dominant flavor is of meat, lamb in fact, although sweet apples play a role as well. Fairly long, but the highlight here is how this wine displays distinctiveness while maintaining attractiveness.
White
2005 Kozlović Malvazija Istarska
88 points
Crystalline, briny, and high-toned, with oodles of fruit candy. Surprisingly deep flavors mix onions and berries. Pleasing inner-mouth perfume and a ginger granola ending. Pretty easy to like but not dumb by any means.
White
2006 Tselepos Moschofilero Mantinia
86 points
At first this is extremely soaplike, with some toilet bowl character as well. But airtime and swirling clean it up somewhat and allow some of the minerality to come into view. "Don't f--- with me" acids are allied to a surprisingly fleshy framework for a wine of just 11.5% alcohol, although things fall off a bit on the finish.
White
2006 Domaine Gerovassiliou Malagousia/Assyrtiko
85 points
Tart and sweaty. Despite that, beautiful in its own way, with a subtler yet more beguiling floral note. Nice bright edges to the substantial melony flavors. But said flavors don't persist well, although the perfume does a little better. Bittersweet almond/vegetal finish.
Flight 3 - Red (6 notes)
Red
2005 Bibich Riserva Skradin
82 points
Medium blood red. Totally modern and toasty nose of sweet vanilla and baking spices. After a nicely dry entry, the oak just clobbers any trace of place or variety, save for some wimpy cranberry.
Red
2004 Plantaže Vranac Pro Corde
87 points
Dark saturated red. Mostly closed, but what is there is nice: spicy green grass and dark fruit. Aged cheese flavors become fresher on the finish, where they are nuanced by some meaty suggestion. Fine tannins are, curiously, more apparent in the midpalate than on the finish. Potentially a very cool drink if it opens up.
Red
2004 Zlatan Otok Zlatan Plavac Barrique Sveta Nedjelja
87 points
Dark red. Vibrant high-toned oak-spiciness, quite ripe but red-fruited. Sweet and concentrated, although the oak intensity has not integrated yet. Excellent lengthy finish reminiscent of toast smothered with melted gruyere suggests this may reward some cellaring.
Red
2005 Tselepos Agiorgitiko Driopi Nemea
88 points
Medium dark salmon red. Primary, with good minerality and sweet tobacco. Really compartmentalizes the mouth; the upper palate feels the textural lushness, while the sides of the tongue scream "Acid!" Clean, juicy, and ending on an appealing cookie-like note, this comes across as a simple but delightful and versatile bottle.
Red
2004 Argyros Atlantis Red
Dull medium violet red. Very rocky earth dominates the shimmery bright nose, although there's a sweetness too that darts in and out of range. Modest residual sugar really registers on the palate and lends a funky overall feel to this. Perhaps it also detracts from the delineation of flavors, as all I could draw out is some faint weediness. Hard to imagine when I'd drink this, although I don't know anything about the local cuisine either.
Red
2003 Kir-Yianni Ramnista
88 points
Light medium garnet red. Sweet-and-sour candy nose is full of life but subtly perfumed. Boasts beautiful juiciness and persistent dynamism, although it's ultimately quite simple.