Sagmeister – Devas Kadarka 2020
Kadarka
Serbia, Fruška Gora
Bright crimson in colour with broad, bright rim. On the nose, it offers aromas of delicate blackberry confit, fresh herbal hints of clover – sweet and minty, a touch of raspberry, juniper berries and sun-drenched forest floor.
Despite its restrained colour Kadarka is extremely rich in flavour.
Aromatic and complex, it envelops the palate well, with a nimble style, finely structured acidity, notes of cherry compote with cloves and cardamom, with saline minerality on the persistent fruity finish.
Its always engaging how Sagmeister is good at creating wines that deliver all over the spectrum, fresh primary fruity and herbal aromas, nice secondary oak aging spices and balanced nutty marks of deliberate oxidation.
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The lesser-known Kadarka grape thrives primarily in the central European Balkan-Pannonian region, spanning Hungary, Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria, where it is known as Gamza.
Its origins are shrouded in mystery, yet evidence suggests its beginnings trace back to the southern Balkans. Many winemakers uphold the narrative that Kadarka’s roots lie near Lake Skadar, bordering present-day Albania and Montenegro. From there, it journeyed to Hungary, then part of Austria-Hungary during the era of the earliest written records.
In northern Serbia, Kadarka holds status as a traditional grape variety, cherished for its role in crafting some of the nation’s most renowned natural wines, notably in appellations such as Fruška Gora, Sremski Karlovci and Subotica.
