1940 Massandra Pink Muscat

Packaged in a thick, antique glass bottle, the 1940, which had considerable heavy sediment, revealed a slightly cloudy amber color. A spectacular nose of roasted coffee, fruitcake, spice, honey, and nuts soared from the glass. In the mouth, this wine revealed extraordinary fullness, richness, and lively, tangy acidity, which holds its considerable weight and massiveness together. The spicy, honeyed character continues in the mouth, and while there is no doubt considerable residual sugar, the zesty acidity is refreshing and uplifting. This is a provocative and compelling Muscat that must be tasted to be believed. Moreover, I suspect it will last for 20 more years. Very few bottles of this 1940 were produced, but the Pink Muscat is offered in many vintages (for example, 1895, 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1931, and 1932 are still available), and I assume they would possess similar characteristics. 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