Doesn’t the name of the winery seem a bit Italian to you? And this is not without reason. Crimea’s favorable location for international trade attracted Italian merchants. The Venetians were the first to arrive in Crimea, followed by the Genoese, who controlled the peninsula for about 200 years and left their mark on it during this time.
Historical background
Due to its geographical location, the Crimean peninsula was a strategically important point for international trade, a link for trade exchange between Western Europe and Asia. It is not surprising that Crimea often became the cause of clashes between states that wanted to completely control the peninsula.
As a result of the Fourth Crusade (1202-1204), the Crusaders stormed Constantinople and ousted the Byzantines, thereby gaining unhindered access to the Black Sea. The Venetians took an active part in the crusade and, as a result of its successful completion, received the right to freely navigate the Black Sea. Genoa, the enemy of the Venetian Trade Republic, on the contrary, was forced to leave the lands captured by the crusaders and forget about trading activities on the Black Sea coast for a while.
Then Genoa became close to the enemy of Venice – the Nicaean Empire. In 1261, the two states concluded the Treaty of Nymphaeum, according to which the Genoese were granted broad trading privileges and exclusive access to the Black Sea in exchange for help in recapturing Constantinople. Following this event, the Genoese founded Kaffa (Feodosia), which turned into a major trading center on the Black Sea coast, and gradually began to expand their possessions.
As a result of the war between Genoa and Venice (1293-1299), the parties signed an agreement under which the Venetians lost the opportunity to enter the Black Sea for 30 years, which made the Genoese the full owners of trade relations through the Crimean Peninsula. Soon the Black Sea coast became surrounded by Genoese ports, stations and fortresses, which supported Genoa’s presence in this region.
In 1343, the Genoese ousted the Greek princes from the fortress of Yamboli, which then stood guard over Genoa’s trade and political activities in Crimea. On Italian maps, this place was marked as “Chembalo”, and its modern name is Balaklava.
As you may have guessed, the Genoese name of Balaklava explains the Italian name of the wine. More precisely, Loco Cimbali was the name of the areas and villages around the fortress where grapes were grown.
A little about the winery
Loco Cimbali is a joint project of the Zolotaya Balka enterprise and the famous winemaker Oleg Repin to create a premium line of wines on the diverse terroir of the Balaklava Valley. For Loco Cimbali wines, plots with the most favorable terroir for Merlot, Chardonnay, Rkatsiteli, Pinot Noir, Saperavi, Bastardo Magarachsky and Cabernet Sauvignon are selected. Each plot occupies less than 20 hectares (except for Merlot, which is 26 hectares), which in addition to high quality, also gives these wines exclusivity. The wines are aged in French oak barrels, and after assemblage – in bottles, to create a harmonious bouquet.
Tasting: Loco Cimbali Rkatsiteli Barrique 2020
Rkatsiteli, aged in barrels, especially caught my attention in the Loco Cimbali range. And the tasting was really very interesting.
Aroma: Pronounced, complex, combines sweet and sour citrus fruit notes (orange zest, baked apple, ripe fresh apple, baked pear, a little of grapefruit), spices (vanilla, Timut pepper with a hint of grapefruit, lime zest), roasted hazelnuts, smoky shade, croutons.
Taste: Rich and complex, with a medium (+), enveloping body, fairly high acidity and a long aftertaste with grapefruit bitterness. Pleasant fruity bouquet (ripe apple and pear), with citrus shades (grapefruit, orange, lemon zest), sweet spices (vanilla, a little cinnamon), milky notes of caramel, praline and toasted brioche.
Overall impression and quality rating: very good, unusual wine, with a deep and complex taste
What to pair with: white meat in a creamy sauce, hard cheeses with nutty notes (like Comte)
