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Subject: Massandra?
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MarcoUser is Offline
Barrel Filler
Barrel Filler
Posts:1029


11/30/2007 11:38 AM  
I will attend the Bonhams wine auction in L.A. tomorrow. The main feature are the wines of Massandra. I understand that this winery is over 100 years old and used to supply the Russian Czars. Many of the wines offered are from the 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's and the prices seem reasonable. All wines are coming directly from the winery and were stored in underground caves with optimal temperature/humidity conditions.
Do any of you have experience with Massandra wines? Is it worth taking a flyer on a few bottles?
VineUser is Offline
Milwaukee, WI
Grape Fermenter
Grape Fermenter
Posts:465


11/30/2007 1:40 PM  
Massandra is discussed in the pages of the Tom Stevenson authored "The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia." The Massandra Cellars are located on the outskirts of Yalta in the Crimea, built for the Russian Imperial Court. It was not a winery but rather an aging facility for wines produced in 25 surrounding satellite wineries. He goes on to to say that the wines tasted were "sensational." Apparently consisting of the Tsar-preferred sweet styles, each mimicked a particular type of wine from classic regions i.e. Oporto, Madeira, etc. He states that the "1932 white-port-style had more class, fragrance, and finesse at almost 60 years of age than anything white and fortified that has ever been made produced in Oporto." Apparently the 1940 was even better and the 1929 Muscat was as good as any currently produced in Australia but with better balance. He says that the best he had the chance to taste of the Massandra's were both Madeira style, the 1937 and 1921 (No. 31). He goes on to say that fortified wine is still made in the region but not of the quality these older Massandra wines exhibit.

Anyway, they sound very interesting - especially if you have a sweet tooth!
Eric WhiteUser is Offline
San Ramon, CA
Advanced Sommelier
Advanced Sommelier
Posts:9053


12/03/2007 8:51 PM  
Rumple, did you go to the pre-auction tasting? Did you bid/win anything at auction? Frank Martel just posted some amazing notes over on eBob from his visit to the winery - wines going back to the early 1800s!
MarcoUser is Offline
Barrel Filler
Barrel Filler
Posts:1029


12/06/2007 1:11 PM  

Eric,

Unfortunately, I missed the whole thing. I had a soccer related commitment in the morning and by the time I was done there would have been very little time left to bid. All the Massandra lots were up first thing in the morning.

I am planning to find some Massandra on one of my upcoming trips to Europe.

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