Garnet held a tasting of
European wines in the store on Thursday, November 13, and there were plenty of
tasty, good value wines on hand. The NY Sales Manager Dalibor Kostan of U.S.A.
Wine Imports was on hand to provide an excellent informational presentation,
while color commentary was provided by Zlatko Hriljac, the “Godfather of
Slovenian wines.”
2013 Pullus
Pinot Grigio
From Slovenia. Very pale copper, a beautiful color.
Peach on the nose. Crisp, dry, mineral, good finish. Highly quaffable and very
refreshing yet thought-provoking at the same time. They’ve been making wine in
the same location since 1239! ($12.99)
2012 Enjingi
Grasevina Welschriesling
From Croatia. The name is a mouthful and so is the
wine! A dry late harvest white, this is certified organic with no added
sulfites. Rich nose with nutmeg, minerals, flowers. Round on the palate and
full-bodied with a long finish. ($12.49)
2013 Ivica
Pilizota Plavina
A
small production red wine that is aged in stainless steel. Some soft woody
tones despite the absence of oak. Cherry fruit and a mineral component frame
the long finish. ($12.99)
2012
Pilizota Winery Babic
From a waterfront vineyard. Beautiful ruby color,
although the nose is a bit shy. The palate makes up for it though with dry,
medium-bodied berry fruit that is quaffable with good balance. ($16.99)
2012
Kozlovic Estate Teran
Opaque ruby purple robe. The grape Teran provides a
perfumed raspberry nose to this red that is made by a fifth generation wine
maker. Aged in large Slovenian casks, there is some band-aid on the palate
which also has good red fruits and a smooth finish. Juicy and delicious. ($16.99)
2010 Katunar
Vineyards Anton Syrah
This syrah undergoes a native yeast fermentation.
There is an attractive floral nose with good complexity on the palate, soft
tannins and a very good finish. Nice balance is complemented by tasty dry
cherry fruit flavors. ($15.99)
2010 Zlatan
Plavac
Translucent ruby with brown highlights. There is
some earth on the nose. From young vines, this descendent of Zinfandel has a
touch of sweet oak on the nose from the huge oak casks that the wine is aged
in. Quite dry with a good finish. ($17.99)
2009 Enjingi
Zweigelt
Made from the Zwiegelt grape, a dry late harvest
provides richness to this biodynamic red wine, and winemaker Ivan Enjingi makes
his own barrels by hand. There is some sweet oak on the nose. There is a
similarity to pinot fruit on the palate, plus an earthy mineral component. Medium
bodied, smooth and lush. ($20.99) –Christian Botta
Photo: Jason Johnson
