Six from Vida Wines: an online retailer specialising in wines from Central and Eastern Europe
Vida Wines is a new outfit specializing in central and eastern European wines. They sent a six-pack for me to assess, taking in Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova.
Lechburg Fetească Neagră 2019 Lechinta, Romania
14% alcohol
£15.11 Vida Wines
This is biodynamically farmed, from a winery established in 1962 in Transylvania. It has a sweetly aromatic nose with ripe cherry and plum fruit, with a distinctive peppery, spicy framing. The palate has a mass of sweet, lush fruit, with some herbal overtones, and then a bright peppery framing. It’s sweet, grapey and rich, but it’s kept honest by the peppery bite. A really lovely rich red. 92/100
Borovitza Pinot Noir Gamay Noir 2016 Vidin, Bulgaria
13% alcohol
£16.09 Vida Wines
Just 250 bottles made of this experimental blend, which spends 28 months in barrel. It’s a distinctive lighter-style red with juicy cherry and plum fruit as well as savoury notes of cheese, medicine, spice and earth. There’s some lively acidity with a slight lift, and a warm, spicy finish. Lovely supple fruit here. Really interesting and characterful, if a bit rustic and wild. Has a lot of drinkability, but not for purists who want clean fruit unadorned by savoury complexity. 90/100
Salla Estate Blaskovo Vineyards Vrachanski Misket 2020 Danubian Plain, Bulgaria
13.4% alcohol
Vida Wines
Lively, pure and aromatic with some table grape and mint notes, as well as some bright citrus. The palate is textured and dry with a fine spicy edge to the ripe table grape fruitiness. It’s a really good wine that reminds me of a top dry Muscat in character (one of the parents of this variety is Muscat). 91/100
Vida Estates Zghihară de Huşi 2020 Huşi, Romania
12.5% alcohol
£9.49 Vida Wines
A private label from Vida wines, made by Domenile Averesti. This is fresh, bright and pure with a touch of sweetness to the pear, table grape and citrus fruit. It’s modern, light and fruity, and quite pretty. 88/100
Gogu Winery Viorica 2020 Causeni, Moldova
12.7% alcohol
£13.49 Vida Wines
This is bright, lively and juicy with a pithy edge to the sweet citrus fruit, with some grapey richness and a lychee and mandarin flourish on the finish. Masses of bright fruit here – a very pure, modern dry white with lots of fruity appeal. 89/100
Lechburg Gewürztraminer Dry 2020 Lechnita, Romania
14% alcohol
£14.09 Vida Wines
Rich but restrained with a fine spiciness, nice rich lychee and table grape fruitiness, and nice purity and intensity. It’s not as intense and aromatic as this variety can be, but there’s real finesse. A touch of honey, too. 90/100
Website: https://vidawines.co.uk/
