International Wine: Selections from Around the World

Good, interesting wines can be found around the world these days.  Below, I give my observations on wines from Spain, Lebanon, Armenia, Georgia, Bulgaria, and South Africa.  Most of these wines are made with grape varieties indigenous to the country.  While South Africa has no indigenous grapes that I know of, Chenin Blanc comes close.  It was brought to South Africa hundreds of years ago by French Huegenots who fled to Holland for religious reasons and then made their way to Cape Town. Today it is the country’s most important grape variety, and South Africa is the world’s largest producer of Chenin Blanc.

The Wines

Mar de Frades 2022 Albariño Rias Baixas ($25) 90  Light yellow-gold.  Opens with aromas of pear, citrus and almond. Crisp and fresh, this wine has good weight and conveys a sense of saline minerals.  Known only by wine afficionados in the past, Albariño has become internationally popular among both consumers and producers in recent years.  This one is imported to the US by Zamora. For more on the wines of Rias Baixas, see the IWR Report #83: Rias Baixas Albariño and More.

IXSIR 2022 Altitudes White Batroun Lebanon ($25) 91 Light yellow straw color.  Fresh lemon zest, thyme, and jasmine nose. On the palate, this blend of Obeideh, Muscat, and Viognier is full and flavorful with citrus and mineral notes.  Finishes clean. A blend of Obeideh, Muscat and Viognier. The Obeideh grape variety is indigenous to Lebanon; it’s most famous wine is Chateau Musar Blanc, which is made of 100% Obeideh.  13% alc. Imported by Fine Terroir Selections.

Yacoubian-Hobbs 2019 White Armenia (Aghavnadzor, Vayots Dzor) ($30) NR  Made by American Paul Hobbs in partnership with the Yacoubian family from indigenous varieties of the high altitude (1300m) Vayots Dzor in Armenia. Known for its longevity, Voskehat has thick skinned berries and expressive aromatics. Imported by Paul Hobbs Selections.  The bottle we tasted was flawed, so no rating until we find a new bottle.

Barbale 2021 Shavkapito Special Reserve Shida Kartli Georgia ($30) 93  A bold, full flavored wine showing aromas and concentrated flavors of dark berries, chocolate and a touch of tobacco leaf. A robust, intense wine for pairing with braised meats. Fermented and aged in traditional qvevri for 9 months followed by 12 months in French oak. 13.5% alc.  Shavkapito is more delicate than Georgia’s Saperavi grape but can make a fine, rich wine like this one.  Imported by Parsons Fine Imports.  For more on the wines of Georgia, see the IWR Report # 99: Georgia: The Wines of Kakheti and Kartli.

Bulgariana 2020 Gamza Danube Plain ($15) 91 Luminescent red ruby. This Bulgarian wine made from the native Gamza grape is an easy drinking wine with a nice, silky mouth feel. It has expressive aromas of underbrush, herbs and berries. Silky soft on the attack with cranberry/cherry flavors complemented by savory notes. Finishes dry with medium length. 13% alc.  Gamza is a thin-skinned variety indigenous to the Balkans  that’s often compared to Pinot Noir.  It grows best in the cooler areas of Northern Bulgaria. Imported by G & B Imports.  For more on the wines of Bulgaria, see the IWR Report #67: The Wines of Bulgaria.

Alheit Vineyards 2022 Huilkrans Chenin Blanc Citrusdal Mountain South Africa ($100) 96  Chris Alheit is one of South Africa’s preeminent crafters of old vine Chenin Blanc.  The Huilkrans reveals mulitiple layers of complex aromas and flavors—think orchard and stone fruit with notes of ginger and beeswax.  Good now but will become considerably more expressive with  couple of years in bottle. Sourced from old, dry farmed Chenin bush vines planted between 1974 and 1989 at 450m on Citrusdal Mountain. Hand sorted, whole bunch crushed, fermented with native yeast in mostly 400L used barrels, then kept on the lees for 12 months followed by 6 months in tank. pH 3.49, 13.2% alc.  US Importer: Broadbent Selections  For more on the Chenin Blancs of South Africa, look for our report coming out next month.