CRICOVA | Grand Vintage | Brut | 2009
pinot noir

WineStatistics will be evaluating wines in no particular order on no particular schedule. Just stay tuned and you will never miss one. If the wine is tasted more than once, the rating table will be updated so as to reflect all the new impressions and observations. The logic is simple – the more we taste, the more we learn.

Tonight we present you one of the best crémant wines made in Moldova – Grand Vintage Brut 2009 from Cricova. It is made in a classic ‘méthode traditionelle’ or ‘méthode champenoise’ style, using only the pinot noir variety from the three main grape varieties allowed in the Champagne region, with second fermentation in the bottle, thus the wine was aged on lees for 5 years to add flavour, texture and complexity. But enough theory, let’s get straight to the review and see how good this wine is.
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Take a look at the tasting notes bellow and our detailed assessment of the wine:

Visual
Deep, pear-yellow color with pale yellow hues towards the rim of the glass.

Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with sweet fruit notes: ripe yellow apple, butter, ripe quince, mango, dried melon, baked apple, quince jam, cinnamon, white cherry jam and some very nuanced hints of fermented bread.

Gustatory
The wine is dry, with moderate alcohol level, high acidity and firm tannin. It tastes creamy, smooth and fruity, with a nuanced seedy accent. This is a quite yeasty, crisp and a bit bitter wine, with an appealing, fair overall balance.

Aftertaste
It has a medium-plus finish and a balanced, crisp and creamy aftertaste.
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This is definitely a great Wine of Moldova and the overall rating says the same, with 90.7 points scored it is right there, among the best wines we’ve tasted so far. Please click on the chart icon on the left in order to get to the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines we’ve tasted to date.

Conclusion: this is a wine in its peak form – firm, bold and well structured, with a complex and elegant body. Drink it now, as this is the optimal time, or in the next 3 months, as there’s no reason for any more bottle ageing. To be honest, this wine never ceases to amaze us – extremely appealing despite its age, definitely one of the best crémant wines made in Moldova. We would recommend to enjoy this wine standalone, in order to explore its undeniable greatness without any distractions. Alternatively, pair it with fresh quince slices or a gorgonzola and pear salad. Enjoy!

WineStatistics tasting results:

CRICOVA
Grand Vintage | Brut 2009

grape: | pinot noir |

region: Moldova | Codru

overall rating: | 90.7 |

conclusion: great | a must try

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(c) The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. There are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.