KARA GANI | Altin | 2011
aligote | muscat | gewurztraminer
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Today we are going to review a quite unique wine, as it is in fact a fortified, late harvest dessert wine – Altin 2011 by KaraGani. This wine is a blend of aligote, muscat and gewurztraminer grape varieties, thus the wine by default is highly aromatic, with a high concentration of sugars and acids. After the three varieties reach a certain balance between residual sugar and alcohol, an additional amount of grape spirit is added to the wine in order to increase its ABV to 15% – a process called fortification. Add here that fact that the wine has been aged for whole 9 years in oak barrels, and what you have here is a truly unique dessert wine. That said, without further ado, let’s move on straight to our tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:
//Visual
concentration: bright
color: gold
clarity: clear
hue/rim: amber
//Olfactory
intensity: rich
fruit profile: dried fruits
__dried fruits: dried pear | dried apple | dried quince
fruit character: overripe to dried
//Flavor
non fruit: vegetal | sweet | other
__vegetal: hay | wheat
__sweet: honey | walnut jam | dried figs | quince jam | white cherry jam
__other: oxidative | cashew | raisins | dried leafs
__wood: old
aroma: primary | secondary | tertiary
//Palate
sweetness: sweet
acidity: medium
alcohol: high
tannin: low
__grip: fine
body: oily
balance: fair
__dominant: alcohol
complexity: simple
//Taste
fruit profile: dried fruits
fruit character: overripe to dried
non fruit: sweet & oxidative
finish: medium
aftertaste: seedy-hot
//Scoring
KARA GANI | Altin | 2011
variety: aligote | muscat | gewurztraminer
country: Moldova
region: Valul lui Traian
rating: 89.3
//Conclusion
maturity: on the decline
verdict: fair| not bad
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This is definitely a fair wine of Moldova and with a total of 89.3 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.
Verdict: this is a quite fair, fortified dessert wine – one that is already past its prime form and on the edge decline: jammy-honeyed and oily, with lots of dried fruits on the nose and overwhelming alcohol on the mouthfeel, which makes it taste burning-hot. The wine also shows nuanced hints of oxidation, which makes it feel old and flabby, with hints of oak and hay grass. Our suggestion is to drink this wine today and not age it any further, as its best times are far behind it. It will do great on its own, as an aperitif or paired with rich desserts like for example cheesecake or crème brûlée.
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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.
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By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
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WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a monthly donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a yearly donation so that we can review even more wines.
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