CHATEAU KAMNIK | Winemaker’s Selection | 2017
vranac | merlot | carmenère
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Today we are going to review a very intriguing and in a way even unique wine blend from North Macedonia – Winemaker’s Selection 2017 by Chateau Kamnik. This wine is a blend of three grape varieties: 40% vranac, 40% merlot and 20% carmenère, where merlot form the wine’s main body and structure, vranac adds color depth and fruit extraction, while carmenère enhances the final blend with those rustic-savory flavours that highly appreciated by the wine connoisseurs. Made of grapes that were sourced from the Skopje Wine District vineyards, grown on cinemonic fertile soils (that are very rich in minerals) with southern exposure in the River Vardar Valley, this wine has been aged in large oak casks in order to preserve the purity of the fruit and those very subtle expressions of local terroir. 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 & opaque ruby color
clarity: hazy ruby hues on the rim
//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & noble
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: black cherry | black plum | black mulberry | blackberry
fruit character: dried & jammy
//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | sweet | savory | earthy
__spice: black pepper | cloves | nutmeg
__oak: black tea | hints of roasted oakwood
__sweet: black plum jam | black cherry jam | hints of menthol
__savory: iron | veal | leather | capocollo | cured meat | hints of barnyard & horse saddle
__earthy: black soil dust | compost
primary layer: fruity–savory
//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: medium+
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol
body: plump & voluptuous | full body
//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: overripe & dried
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: long
aftertaste: bitter-seedy
//Scoring
CHATEAU KAMNIK | Winemaker’s Selection | 2017
variety: vranac | merlot | carmenère
country: North Macedonia
region: Skopje Wine District
rating: 94.0
//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | can age for another 4 to 5 years
verdict: great | a must try wine
//Prediction
RP rating: 91
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This is definitely a great wine of Macedonia 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 great wine blend indeed: firm and voluptuous – a wine that is right there, at the summit of its prime form, still a wine that has the potential to withstand another 4 to 5 years of bottle ageing. It feels plump, ripe and complex, with nice, well integrated acidity, ripe and slightly aggressive tannins and an overwhelming alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel. On the nose the wine delivers dried and jammy black fruits, mixed with some very nuanced savory-earthy notes in the foreground, supported by an intense, spicy-oaky background. All in all, the wine feels potent, well structured and just a bit angular on the palate, with a very appealing bitter-seedy aftertaste. What can we add more – this is an outstanding wine indeed, a wine that has both, a distinctive personality and the footprint of the Vardar Valley terroir.
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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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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.
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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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