Massandra: Wine From The Ukraine

I have only had the pleasure of tasting wines from the Russia twice, both here in Hong Kong at the China Wine awards where I tried Fanagoria Estate and Myskhako Winery which was eye-opening but (other than Fanagoria’s ice wines and sparklings) not exactly breath-taking. But, when I was given the chance earlier this week to give Ukrainian wines a try I jumped at the opportunity knowing that the Ukrainians make some fantastic sweet and fortified wines.

So, I hooked up with Andrey Bogdanov of The Everlasting Cup (the local importers here in Hong Kong) for a run through of some of the wines currently in the city from Ukrainian winery Massandra, and to be honest, I was more than pleasantly surprised.

The winery itself is located in Yalta in the Crimea and is situated on the shores of the Black Sea; a major tourism destination for Russians and Ukrainians alike and a region that sees more than its fair share of sunshine. The winery dates back to the mid-nineteenth century but the production of fortified wines and sherries in the area started long before this. Wines stored in the Massandra cellars date back as far as 1775 – bottles of which have sold at auction for more than HK$400,000 each and having once belonged to past owner and founder Leo Goltisyn. The sherry production started at Massandra in the twentieth century and the antique bottles are actually Spanish sherries from Jerez.

The winery once housed the private cellar or Tsar Nicholas II and today some of the wines stored there are considered antique. There is a rich history of conflict and warfare in the region and it’s a wonder that the wines themselves have survived so many battles but, survived they have no thanks to ingenious methods of hiding the wines and also, during World War 2 the entire collection of wins were moved and housed in Tbilisi, Georgia to hide them from the invading Germans. Many of these wines still remain intact after being returned to the Massandra cellars after the war ended.

The wines themselves have been the favourites of Tsars and Russian royalty alike over the years and even, but not publically declared because of the Cold War, drank by Winston Churchill and members of the British Royal family.

Today, Massandra produces more than twenty wine styles, mainly in the sweet and dessert categories and many of which have a life span of over 100 years. The Crimea’s south coast is a sub-tropical zone where Muscat grapes have been grown for over 2,500 years. The region seems better suited to making sweet wines for some reason and mostly the dry wines I have tried from Russian wineries and Massandra have been ok at best.

Massandra Madeira 2006

We tasted a lot of wines so I will just tell you the stand out ones, which were in some cases, to be honest, absolutely stunning. I was taken aback with the Madeira 2006 vintage, a wine I thought only made on the Portuguese island of Madeira but evidently I was completely wrong. The nose and the taste, colour and the body were just like other quality Madeira’s I have tried and this one was a great introduction to their winemaking ability as we moved upwards and onwards getting sweeter as we tasted.

The 2008 white port made from Kokour and other white grapes was, in all seriousness, better than any Portuguese white Port I have tried before. The aromas are fantastic and there’s an amazing dark colour to it with nuances of caramel and nuts. Light and fruity, this is certainly one wine I will be exploring again – most likely by the bottle next time.

The Ai Serez 2009 just blew everyone’s mind when it was tasted. An eclectic blend of Magaratch Bastardo and Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine was intense, complex and deep with noticeable but not over bearing tannins whilst being unctuous and sweet on the palate with a nice off-dry finish making it easy to drink, not cloying and particularly enjoyable. This is another to have in your cellar for special occasions and personally, I loved it.

Massandra Ai Serez 2009

I had the Ai Serez on my mind as I was completely stunned as to how good it was and thought the tasting probably could not get much better – but it did. Opening the Rosé Muscat 2009 I was completely perplexed as I had never seen a rosé Muscat before and did not know what to expect. What I got was phenomenal and most certainly my favourite of the tasting. Cherry aromas made way for a smell that can only be described as a bunch of Roses on Valentine’s day! The wine was sweet and delectable and, honestly, addictive! This is not going in my cellar but in the wine fridge at home because this is something I want to drink every day.

We closed off the tasting with the super-sweet Red Stone White Muscat 2009, a sweet and delightful wine that would make an excellent after dinner drink or something you could pair with foie gras to replace a Sauternes. It’s think and bold this ‘King of Muscat’s” and has a beautiful amber colour and is thought to have been drunk by Winston Churchill in Yalta while meeting Stalin and Roosevelt in 1945. This was a beautiful wine, but one that you can only drink a glass of (rather than the whole bottle in one sitting) due to its super-sweet nature.

Massandra Rose Muscat 2009

I was completely blown away by the quality and sophistication of these wines from Ukrainian winery Massandra and recommend anyone who is a lover of wine to give them a try. I am most certainly picking up a few bottles of the Ai Serez and Rosé Muscat in the next week or two to keep at home, and I will definitely be buying some of the Madeira to sit in my cellar and age for the next few years (decade if I can manage it!).

If you are interested in these wines you can contact The Everlasting Cup directly on info@elcup.asia or you can browse the wines on their website www.elcup.asia – failing that and you just want the wines right now (I know I do!) then give Andrey a call on (+852) 9521 8481