16 February 2021
Honestly, is there anyplace on earth that doesn’t just ooze Sauvignon Blanc like Transylvania? Okay, I’m being flippant, and yet here I sit, before an absolute beefcake of a bottle of Ana from Jidvei in the Transylvanian DOC of Tarnave 2018. In case you are American, and know fuck-all about world geography, that is in Romania. Romania, and what is now, Moldova, were once one big happy country called Romania. These are Black Sea nations, Eastern Europe, and during the cold war, part of the Soviet Bloc. One would think then that their wine industries suffered, but introduce a highly indifferent France into the picture and you find that Moldova & Romania were well-established and modernised well before countries like Greece and Portugal. This is in addition to some 2800 years of winemaking as well. That’s all the history you get, I’m a bit sick of admin, and need a wee drinkie poo. So, on first inspection we have vibrantly yellow-green colour, with fairly profound viscosity. The nose is mostly high-toned, green, pyrazine, pureed with white pepper, not unpleasant, but a bit jarring. Ooo, and the palate confirms this, and interestingly in two waves, first you get the green pepper, with hints of green apple and lime, then it fades into white pepper, and a very long finish of that. Perhaps it is only because I am presently eating egg-fried rice (Fuihoh!) about 8 times per week, I do think this wine would do very nicely with a classic version consisting of shallots, garlic, fish sauce, sriracha, rice wine vinegar, white pepper, and finished with green onions and frozen petit pois. I would get up and bang out a batch of this right bloody now, but I’m a bit sick of it, having had a massive heap for breakfast. This is a very well-made wine, from terroir that may not be best suited to this variety, or perhaps this clones, whatever the hell it is. The only thing I’ve ever had that reminds me of this is our Taking Root Blanc de Cabernet from Moldova. I suppose this is not an accident. I’m curious to see how this wine ages, as the Blanc de Cab leaves its Sauvignon roots with age and becomes a bit Rhфnesque. I’m glad I tried this, although I would never in a gazillion years be able to call the fucker in a blind tasting.