KISS GÁBOR | Enigma | Merlot | 2017
merlot

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Today we are going to review a single-varietal merlot wine from the famous Villány region in the south of Hungary, a wine that has all the prerequisites to become legendary – Enigma Merlot 2017 by Kiss Gábor. Merlot is usually regarded as the underdog to the highly priced cabernet sauvignon or cabernet franc varieties, but make no mistake, merlot wine is first class as it is more versatile and ripens earlier than both cabernet grapes, responds well to oak ageing and can be grown in both, cool climate and warm climate with the same success. This particular wine is made out of selected french-clone merlot grapes (a fruit with small grains and thick skins that makes very concentrated wines with good acidity) from the Bocor vineyard, aged in first-fill, 500-litre french barrels for 18 months and produced in a limited edition of only 5500 bottles. But enough theory, that said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: deep & noble ruby color
clarity: hazy ruby shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & clean
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: black plum | black cherry | blackberry | aronia berry
fruit character: overripe & dried

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | sweet | savory | earthy
__spice: black pepper | tonka seeds | liquorice
__oak: roasted oakwood | sweet tobacco | black tea | hints of charred wood
__sweet: dried black plum | dried black cherry
__savory: black olive | subtle hints of leather & veal
__earthy: granite | turf | soil dust dust | compost
primary layer: fruit & spice

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: medium+
tannin: high
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: none
body: round & firm | full body

//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: overripe & dried
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: medium
aftertaste: crisp & seedy

//Scoring
KISS GÁBOR | Enigma | Merlot | 2017
variety: merlot
country: Hungary
region: Villány
rating: 94.0

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | can age for another 3 to 5 years
verdict: great | a must try wine

//Prediction
RP rating: 91

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This is definitely a great wine of Hungary and, with a total of 94.0 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 round and voluptuous merlot wine, definitely one of the finest we’ve tasted so far: firm, crisp and rich – a wine that is right at the footsteps of its prime form, still one that can age for another 3 to 5 years in the bottle. It feels noble, complex and quite potent, with a full body, formed by exuberant acidity, a firm but ripe tannic grip and just a touch of alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel – a wine that is mixing power with finesse. On the nose the wine displays very lush and pure black fruit notes in the foreground, followed by a noble, savory-earthy accent, supported by a very appealing spiciness and some subtle, oaky-smoky hints in the background. All in all, this is a bold, ripe and well structured merlot wine, with well preserved varietal characteristics of the merlot grapes, enhanced by some noble oakiness and a mesmerizing layer of spiciness in between. This is definitely a wine that has both, a distinctive personality and the footprint of the Villány terroir. Egészségére!

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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.