19 of November, 2019, the Red Fox restaurant (Krasnaya Polyana) hosted the presentation of the first harvest of the "Galitskiy and Galitskiy" wineries and several new positions from the "Manor Markoth" winery. The wine was represented by the chief winemaker Alexey Tolstoy. "Manor Markoth" is his own project, and at the "Galitskiy and Galitskiy" winery he oversees and controls all the vinification processes from vintage to bottling. Therefore, we can confidently say that both projects are the wines by Tolstoy in its most striking manifestation.
For the wineries "Galitskiy and Galitskiy" it was a debut and, looking ahead, I will say that he was a success. I will tell a little about the terroir. Vineyards are located in the Krasnaya Gorka Nature Reserve in the Anapsky District of the Krasnodar Region near the village of Gostagaevskaya. Organic winemaking is used, close to biodynamics. According to Tolstoy, roe deers, wild boars, rabbits and all other animals run in their vineyard, which also helps in the process of wine production :) They plan to build a gravity winery, but so far this issue is at the stage of legalizing the project. A tourist area will also be issued.
In total, three positions from "Manor Markoth" and eight positions of "Galitskiy and Galitskiy" were tasted. In general, all the wines are of very decent quality. They will not be ashamed of any restaurant or boutique that has them in the wine list
"Manor Markoth "
1. Sauvignon Blanc 2018 - 4.5/5
2. Syrah 2017 - 4.5/5
3. Cuvé No. 1 Reserve 2017 - 4/5
"Galitskiy and Galitskiy"
1. Riesling 2018 - 5/5
2. Chardonnay 2018 - 4.5/5
3. Sauvignon Blanc - 4.5/5
4. Rose 2018 - 4/5
5. Pinot Noir 2018 - 4/5
6. Merlot 2018 - 4.5/5
7. Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 - 4.5/5
8. Cosaque 2018 - 5/5
"Manor Markoth "
1. Sauvignon Blanc. Very bright, varietal aroma, piercing nose. Small hints of rubber. Tasteful and full bodied. A lot of nectarine. A slight sweetness, continuing in the aftertaste. 4,5/5
2. Syrah. A lot of red fruits, cherry, sweet cherry, vanilla, pastries, jam pie, marmalade. Then it opens with leather, spices, especially cinnamon. Tannins are light. There is a small bitterness, but just for balance with gastropar. At the very end, a little iron. The score is closer to 5, somewhere 4.7.
Aging 15 months in a Caucasian oak 2-3 filling. The declared potential is 15 years.
3. Cuvee No. 1 Reserve (Cabernet Sauvignon - 45%, Syrah - 40%, Merlot - 15%). First Cabernet makes its way with its tobacco and blackcurrant. Then black berries and leather. Cabernet dominates and, on the whole, lacks a little body. 4/5
"Galitskiy and Galitskiy"
1. Riesling. First, "blazed" with hospital bandages. After the transition to the classic Riesling with an ribber eraser, but not too bright, muffled. After aeration, it becomes brighter and richer. A lot of white flowers and a little honey. Sweetness and fullness. Good acidity. Great balance of everything. 5/5
2. Chardonnay. A bright white peach and pear, plus a pineapple and something still tropical. Acid-mineral, subtle and elegant, but at the same time full-bodied. Later reveals a brioche. The finish is greenish and fresh grass. Score closer to 5. 4.7-4.8
An interesting fact: in France, in Burgundy, there is the famous Montrachet hill, which means "Bald Mountain", where they make excellent and great wines from Chardonnay. And our Chardonnay grows on a slope called ... Bald Mountain, and this is the ancient name of this slope. Coincidence? I don’t think so!
3. Sauvignon Blanc. Very bright and fruity. Tropics turning into a classic gooseberry. The taste is very soft, rounded. Elegant bitterness. Very acidic and mineral. Fruit aftertaste. 4,5/5
4. Rose (Cabernet Sauvignon - 65%, Merlot - 25%, Pinot Noir - 10%). Berry jam, marmalade. Unusually, with tobacco nuances in taste and hints of bell pepper. Ichthyol and menthol. Not exactly what you expect from rose wine. 4/5
Cabernet Sauvignon for Rose is harvested earlier when its acidity is higher
5. Pinot Noir. Wonderful pomegranate color. Pretty hard to appreciate in a Bordeaux glass. A lot of fruit and pepper notes. It is quite bitter, plus a fairly strong tannin. At the end, creaminess appears. The wine is still young and requires aging in a bottle, but there is potential. For a collection I advise. Specifically, this bottle gets 4/5.
6. Merlot. Varietal, bright aroma. Thick and saturated. Blackberries, prunes, then leather and jerked meat. Velvety tannins. Quite alcoholic, therefore, requires aeration, like the following two positions: Cabernet Sauvignon and Cosaque. 4,5/5
7. Cabernet Sauvignon. Bell pepper plus red dried berries (blueberries, sweet cherry). A bit of tobacco. The taste is not enough brightness, but for me personally it is a plus, because there is no this power and hostility of Cabernet. Fruit aftertaste with a slight bitterness. In general, very solid and high quality. 4,5/5
8. Cosaque (Cabernet Sauvignon - 60%, Merlot - 24%, Tsimlyanskiy Black - 10%, Krasnostop - 6%). A lot of prunes and smoke. Raw and jerked meat. Full-bodied and powerful. Salty-sweet and fruit-spicy on the palate. The longest aftertaste. Perfect balance. Jaminess and pleasant tannins. I would never have thought that I would like wine that contains 60% Cabernet (I do not really like Cabernet). 5/5
Summarizing, I would like to note that in the production of wine "Galitskiy and Galitskiy" only the most modern equipment and materials are used, from trellis in the vineyard, continuing with equipment for vinification and ending with labels, corks and bottles. According to Tolstoy, this project is not known when it will pay off and whether it will pay off at all, but the fact that these wines are of the highest quality with maximum attention to any very minor details is an obvious fact. It is very difficult to doubt Alexey’s words if you just remember projects by S.N. Galitsky, like the stadium and the park in Krasnodar.