1993 Massandra Aluschta Cabernet Sauvignon

A surprisingly good, internationally-styled Cabernet Sauvignon, this 1993, from a single vineyard called Alushta, exhibits a dark ruby/purple color, and a monolithic, but intense nose of ripe black currant fruit intermixed with subtle licorice notes. Rich, full-bodied, thick, and succulent, with low acidity and sweet tannin, this flavorful, mouthfilling Cabernet Sauvignon possesses all the textbook characteristics of the varietal. It lacks complexity, but that may change with more bottle age. This very good wine can be drunk now, or cellared for a decade. Approximately 3,000 cases are available. This wine is part of the Massandra collection. Founded by Tsar Nicholas II in 1894, the Massandra Winery, on the outskirts of Yalta, on the Crimean Peninsula, supplied the royal family with fine wines while they were vacationing at their summer palace at Livadia. The Massandra wines are imported by Wine Markets International, Woodbury, NY; tel. (516) 364-1850; fax (516) 364-1197