Tour of India
Variety of hotel and stand-alone restaurants.
Tasted February 16, 2019 - March 7, 2019 by VlgJeff with 121 views
Introduction
During our three week tour of (mostly) northern India, we decided to try the local wines. Some of the restaurants we visited did not have wine available -- which could be a result of the necessary establishment licensing, and/or, that customers were not requesting wine as it did not always go well with the food. When the restaurant did have wine, most often it was only a limited selection from Sula Vineyards, one of the largest domestic producers. Imported wine was not readily available as it had to overcome a higher wholesale cost, plus a 20% import duty, plus a 15% VAT.
Flight 1 (10 notes)
White
2016 Sula Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
India, Nashik
PnP, chilled. Light aromas of herbs, grass, and green pepper. On the palate though, the tropical fruit flavors are as prominent as the herbaceous, grassy notes, indicating that this is a SB from a warm climate. The wine has medium to minus body, with good acidity, and a medium to minus finish. Overall, rather simple, but with reasonable typicity. Not made for aging, so drink up soon.
White
2016 Sula Vineyards Chenin Blanc
India, Nashik
PnP, chilled. Not too much on the nose, but the palate yields up some pear and some very ripe red delicious apple. The wine is medium bodied, with a medium finish, and the acidity is a tad too low to balance. Overall, relatively appealing, but needs more acidity. Not made for aging, so drink up.
The Chenin Blanc definitely has more presence than the Sauvignon Blanc, but is not as available in restaurants in India.
Red
2015 Sula Vineyards Cabernet-Shiraz
India, Nashik
PnP, room temperature. After trying the first glass, we asked for an ice bucket. Lots of red fruit aromas. A medium bodied wine with an abundance of cherries, some plums, and a touch of black pepper. Not enough acidity to balance the fruit, only a medium minus finish, and still some unresolved tannins. Something of a warm climate fruit bomb, but definitely better with a slight chill.
White
2016 Sula Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
India, Nashik
PnP, chilled. Pretty much the same tasting notes as our previous bottle on 2/16, but this bottle was served a bit warmer. The good news was that the tropical fruits, and some green apple were more prominent. The bad news was that the acidity seemed more prominent and led to a slight harshness on the finish. Definitely made to be consumed young.
Red
2015 Sula Vineyards Cabernet-Shiraz
India, Nashik
Chilled before PnP. Still a bit of a red fruit bomb, lacking some acidity, and with some unresolved tannins. The only red wine available in this restaurant, this evening.
White
2015 Sula Vineyards Viognier Dindori Reserve
India, Nashik
PnP, chilled. The "best" of the Sula white wines that we tasted. A subdued but somewhat typical viognier floral nose. The palate showed subdued expressions of pear, melon and lychee. Medium bodied, medium finish, and enough acidity to balance. Not built for long aging, so drink by year's end.
White
2016 Sula Vineyards Chenin Blanc
India, Nashik
PnP, chilled. Basically the same tasting note profile as the previous two bottles. However, this bottle was served at a warmer temperature which resulted in the slightly enhanced nose of "sweet apple", the question of residual sugar, and the lack of sufficient acidity.
Closing
Sula Vineyards has a large portfolio of domestic wines, but only a few select wines were usually available in the restaurants -- probably those that the tourists have favored over time. All of the three whites and one red that we tasted had definite warm climate profiles. None of them were memorable (in a positive way), and would not be wines that we would seek out post-trip. It was interesting, however, tasting them along the way.
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