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Liquid Refreshment

21

Jan

Two Grapes We’ve Never Heard of…

Jacob Gaffney  in Red Wines, Mavrud, Kekfrankos , , , , , ,

If you look at the wine merchants list at the bottom right of our site, you will find a ‘UK-Zelas’ tag for a wine shop on Archway road in London, whose wine credentials InterWined recently ‘investigated’. All in an honest day’s work.

Good news is, it checks out. Even better, the shop may have one of the best red wine selections at around £10 per bottle.

There is also a large (although its in a small space) collection of Hungarian and Bulgarian-type wines. And, InterWined.com found two wines made from grapes we’ve never heard of…

The 2004 Thracian Princess, Trakia Estate, Mavrud (grape), from Bulgaria is a clean wine, with a simple nose. The Mavrud grape, the label tells us, is named after an ancient hero who rid the area of some wine-hating Khan. But InterWined cares less about lore, and more about the pore.

The Thracian Princess may not have many distinct scents. The ‘ripe berry’ is there, of course, but the only real specific smell is that of prune and raisin. The wine is remarkable dry, unusual for a wine of this profile, and the tannic experience can best be described as nicely strange. The finish, though, lasts and lasts. Around £10 — 8.6 points.

Even better, or much better, rather, for the same price. Is the 2003 Bataapati Kekfrankos (grape), from Hungary which is made under the guidance of Italian wine maestro Antinori.

The Kekfrankos is a grape too good to be so obscure. And more research must be done to get more of this wine into InterWined’s hands. There is black currant and rose on the nose, and the wine is elegant and different. Different in the sense that one expects more tightness from tannin, which isn’t there. But that’s OK. More important is the nice, nice finish, with a touch of menthol. Lovely wine. Get some. £9 (2 bottles for £8) — 8.9 points.

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