The grape here is Cadarca, more commonly known as Kadarka in Hungary and Gamza in Bulgaria, two countries where it’s widely planted. The variety tends to produce spicy wines with good acidity and medium body, and those characters come through in this example, which sure is different from most reds most North American drinkers are accustomed to. For starters, the aroma bears a rather close resemblance to an extinguished cigarette butt. On the palate, it’s gently sweet though technically dry, with a strong grilled-herb and smoky quality over the plum-prune fruit. The texture’s slightly sticky as well as chalky. Very interesting. Available in Ontario.
- Year: 2015
- Region: Minis
- Varietal: Cadarca
- Price: $18.95