Mixed Bag Vol. 14
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EN
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Boris Buliga
My bag is always full of wine. Even if it's not my bag. Anyways, it's time to unpack!
Considering how often I explain the essence of the Mixed Bag concept, especially the joy I find in fine-tuning the wine selection to suit the participants, one might think there's something elusive about this format. But this time (as always, really), I can joke freely, because this Mixed Bag wasn't put together by me. This is NOT MY BACKPACK!
The credit goes to Andrii, who, in his generosity, provided each bottle in this lineup so that we could not only savour the moment but also contribute to something greater. How, you ask? Well, there's our friend Oleksandr, who between enjoying wine, assembles and tests drones, sending them to the military to help keep our land and homes secure.
As for the rest of us, we simply let ourselves drift between worlds—offering ourselves to Dionysus while paying tribute to Perun. That's the way of this place, where so much comes together: wine and war, joy and purpose, the old gods and the new reality, all woven into a single, seamless thread.
| Wine | Place | rms Average score calculated using the root mean square method, reflecting the collective assessment of a wine by participants. | wavg Weighted average score for the wine, where each participant's rating is adjusted for their wine assessment expertise. | sdev Standard deviation measures the controversy of a wine's reception. A lower value signifies greater consensus among participants. | fav Count of participants who selected this wine as their evening's favourite. | out Number of participants who identified this wine as their least favourite of the evening. | price Price of the wine, if available. | volume Volume of the bottle in litres. | QPR Quality-price ratio, indicating value for money. A higher number denotes better value. Available when price is known. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏅 6th | 4.0519 | 4.1018 | 0.0150 | 0 | 0 | UAH 1,902.00 | 0.75 L | 0.9238 🤔 | |
| 🥇 1st | 4.2942 | 4.3561 | 0.0281 | 4 | 0 | UAH 5,424.00 | 0.75 L | 1.1643 😊 | |
| 🏅 8th | 3.9896 | 3.9789 | 0.0255 | 1 | 0 | UAH 1,511.00 | 0.75 L | 0.8065 🤔 | |
| 🏅 9th | 3.9422 | 3.9702 | 0.0104 | 0 | 0 | UAH 1,293.00 | 0.75 L | 0.8565 🤔 | |
| 🏅 7th | 4.0566 | 4.0439 | 0.0170 | 0 | 0 | UAH 1,050.00 | 0.75 L | 1.1041 😊 | |
| 🏅 5th | 4.2312 | 4.1825 | 0.0329 | 3 | 0 | UAH 1,684.00 | 0.75 L | 1.1602 😊 | |
| 🥈 2nd | 4.3175 | 4.3161 | 0.0102 | 3 | 0 | UAH 3,250.00 | 0.75 L | 1.3818 😊 | |
| 🏅 4th | 4.2469 | 4.2679 | 0.1010 | 0 | 0 | UAH 3,696.00 | 0.5 L | 0.7645 😐 | |
 | 🥉 3rd | 4.2502 | 4.2885 | 0.0134 | 0 | 0 | UAH 5,000.00 | 0.75 L | 1.0509 😊 |
Domaine de la Taille Aux Loups Bretonniere Cuvée Parcellaire Monopole 2022
- Region
- France » Vin de France
- Type
- white still, dry
- Producer
- Domaine de la Taille Aux Loups
- Vintage
- 2022
- Grapes
- Chenin Blanc
- Alcohol
- 12.5
- Sugar
- 1.5
- Volume
- 750 mL
This wine secured the 🏅 6th place in our wine tasting lineup.
This wine reveals a youthful exuberance, yet it charms with its inherent beauty. On the nose, there's a hint of oxidation, offering aromas of slightly bruised yellow fruits, quince, and a subtle chalkiness reminiscent of sea pebbles. Delicate notes of tilia honey and sunflower oil add complexity and some layers here. The palate is voluminous with a medium-to-full body, showcasing a slight oiliness and a well-defined structure. It concludes with a neat, slightly bitter finish, evoking the taste of crushed apple seeds. While it's still developing, this wine promises even greater elegance and complexity as it matures.
Françoise Bedel L'Âme de la Terre Millésime 2006
- Region
- France » Champagne AOC » Vallée de la Marne
- Type
- white traditional sparkling, extra brut
- Producer
- Françoise Bedel
- Vintage
- 2006
- Disgorged
- 2021-01
- On lees
- 156 months
- Grapes
- Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Alcohol
- 12.5
- Sugar
- 4.65
- Volume
- 750 mL
This wine secured the 🥇 1st place in our wine tasting lineup.
Returning to bottles like this is truly a blessing. Opening it early in the evening was inspiring (thank you, Maksym), allowing us the clarity and energy to fully appreciate its nuances. The nose is exquisite, with aromas of chalk, Jerez, cider, mushroom soup, damp cellar, honey, and almonds. It intriguingly balances pomp and austerity, offering remarkable concentration and intensity. The palate is pronounced, rich, and surprisingly fresh, with an impressively long finish where flavours seem to evolve endlessly. Truly magnificent.
Matassa Tattouine Rouge 2022
- Region
- France » Vin de France
- Type
- red still, dry
- Producer
- Matassa
- Wine
- Tattouine Rouge
- Vintage
- 2022
- Grapes
- Grenache Gris, Grenache Noir
- Alcohol
- 11.5
- Sugar
- 0.4
- Volume
- 750 mL
This wine secured the 🏅 8th place in our wine tasting lineup.
This wine remains much the same as it did a year ago, still exhibiting a moderated funk in its stride, which I find delightful. It offers a juicy, effortlessly enjoyable experience, balancing elevated spice with fruity notes. It's so approachable that finishing a whole bottle is easy. The palate presents a medley of olives, spices, barberry candy, dogwood, wild strawberries, and earthy undertones.
Matassa Cuvée Alexandria 2022
- Region
- France » Vin de France
- Type
- white still, dry
- Producer
- Matassa
- Wine
- Cuvée Alexandria
- Vintage
- 2022
- Grapes
- Muscat d'Alexandria
- Alcohol
- 11
- Sugar
- 0.4
- Volume
- 750 mL
This wine secured the 🏅 9th place in our wine tasting lineup.
This is one of my favorite expressions of Muscat. It beautifully balances the classic characteristics of the grape with a complexity that remains approachable and easy to drink, a hallmark of Tom’s winemaking. And it's not vulgar! It offers enticing aromas of fallen apricot, dried herbs, tropical fruits, white flowers, and a hint of slightly rotten orange zest. The palate is round and rich, with nearly perfect balance, showcasing a pleasing acidity, minerality (sic!) and seamlessly integrated VA.
Naboso Doma 2021
This wine secured the 🏅 7th place in our wine tasting lineup.
This wine exhibits an intriguing evolution in the glass, presenting a mix of gains and losses along the way. Initially, it offers notes of volatile acidity, apricot yogurt, and persimmon. As it opens up, it transitions into aromas of tea, dried yellow fruits, and fennel, with a captivating, subtle flor-like note. On the palate, it is fresh, with gentle tannins and a finish reminiscent of Jerez. Compared to the Matassa bottle, I find Doma a bit too focused and narrow, but its unique character remains interesting.
Weingut Bründlmayer Brut Reserve L12949/05/19 NV
- Region
- Austria » Niederösterreich
- Type
- white traditional sparkling, brut
- Producer
- Weingut Bründlmayer
- Vintage
- NV
- Disgorged
- 2022-09
- On lees
- 40 months
- Grapes
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris
- Alcohol
- 12
- Sugar
- 10.8
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Find at
This wine secured the 🏅 5th place in our wine tasting lineup.
Puffy and charming, this wine delights the senses. It combines the sweet notes of caramel cake and cream soda with burnt crème brûlée, citrus, baked apple, cheese, and bakery aromas. It boasts good volume and neat acidity, which skillfully balances over 11g of residual sugar, resulting in a highly approachable and generous wine. It’s round and friendly, and while it may lack some complexity and depth, its charm shines through, especially in a blind tasting. It's no surprise that many mistook it for a bottle of Champagne.
Benoît Lahaye Grand Cru 2018
- Region
- France » Champagne AOC » Montagne de Reims » Bouzy
- Type
- white traditional sparkling, extra brut
- Producer
- Benoît Lahaye
- Wine
- Grand Cru
- Vintage
- 2018
- Disgorged
- 2023-10
- On lees
- ~60 months
- Grapes
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Alcohol
- 13
- Sugar
- 2.6
- Volume
- 750 mL
This wine secured the 🥈 2nd place in our wine tasting lineup.
This is a great wine. The 2018 vintage appears slower to mature compared to 2017, suggesting it may benefit from more time. Nonetheless, Lahaye's style captivates me, with its natural qualities existing in harmony, balanced by more conventional notes. Most notably, his Champagnes possess a pronounced vinous character. The nose is intense, offering aromas of cider, Jerez, bruised apple, lemon tart, pickles, and candies. It's stylish, concentrated, and evolving, yet in my opinion, still a bit too young.
Marco De Bartoli Bukkuram Padre della Vigna 2019
- Region
- Italy » Sicilia » Pantelleria DOC
- Type
- white still, sweet
- Producer
- Marco De Bartoli
- Vintage
- 2019
- Grapes
- Zibibbo
- Alcohol
- 14.5
- Sugar
- 156
- Volume
- 500 mL
This wine secured the 🏅 4th place in our wine tasting lineup.
As a lover of well-crafted sweet wines, I thoroughly enjoyed this delicious beauty. It offers captivating notes of date fruit, raisins, coffee, rye bread, nuts, and a hint of volatile acidity. Despite its intensity, the wine maintains perfect harmony and balance, thanks to its good acidity. It's multilayered, complex, and deep, truly a delightful experience.
Egly-Ouriet Extra Brut Grand Cru (d2022) NV
- Region
- France » Champagne AOC » Montagne de Reims
- Type
- white traditional sparkling, extra brut
- Producer
- Egly-Ouriet
- Vintage
- NV
- Disgorged
- 2022-07
- On lees
- 48 months
- Grapes
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Alcohol
- 12.5
- Sugar
- 2
- Volume
- 750 mL
This wine secured the 🥉 3rd place in our wine tasting lineup.
I confess to opening this wine too early, missing out on its full potential. Despite this, it was undeniably delicious. It presents a touch of austerity yet remains stylish, vinoous, nuanced, and complex. The delicate aromas of honey, damp cellar, red berries, bruised apples, chalk, and a hint of pickles are enchanting. It boasts great acidity and is compact and intense, with a neat mineral backbone. Remarkable.
Raw scores
| Wine | Andrii S | Oleksii L | Viktoriya Zh | Mariia P | Oleksandr R | Julie B | Dmytro Kh | Yaroslav M | Elvira K | Alina Sh | Boris B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.00 | 4.20 | 3.80 | 4.00 | 4.05 | 4.10 | 3.90 | 4.20 | 4.10 | 4.00 | 4.20 | |
| 4.40 | 4.40 | 4.30 | 4.30 | 4.30 | 4.30 | 4.30 | 4.30 | 4.30 | 3.80 | 4.50 | |
| 3.90 | 3.80 | 3.90 | 3.85 | 3.90 | 4.10 | 4.00 | 4.10 | 3.90 | 4.40 | 4.00 | |
| 4.00 | 3.70 | 3.80 | 3.90 | 4.05 | 3.90 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | |
| 4.10 | 3.90 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.20 | 4.10 | 4.30 | 3.90 | 3.90 | 3.90 | |
| 4.20 | 4.50 | 4.30 | 4.20 | 4.30 | 4.30 | 4.40 | 4.30 | 4.20 | 3.80 | 4.00 | |
| 4.30 | 4.40 | 4.40 | 4.25 | 4.28 | 4.25 | 4.50 | 4.30 | 4.40 | 4.10 | 4.30 | |
| 4.50 | 3.70 | 4.60 | 4.30 | 4.35 | 4.20 | 4.20 | 3.60 | 4.50 | – | 4.40 | |
| 4.25 | – | – | – | 4.29 | 4.30 | 4.00 | 4.40 | 4.20 | – | 4.30 |