ET CETERA | Chardonnay | {barrel fermented} | 2015
chardonnay

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Tonight we are going to review a legendary single varietal chardonnay wine from the winemaker’s flagship line – Chardonnay {barrel fermented} 2015 by Et Cetera. This is the successor of the famous Chardonnay 2014 and, as is the norm for this class of wines, it has been produced in a very limited edition of only 3503 bottles. Make no mistake, this is not the regular, minerally-crisp chardonnay wine that is quite the trend for the last decade all over the world, nope, not at all, this is a barrel fermented chardonnay. What does that mean, is that the wine went through the malolactic fermentation, a process where the crisp, malic acid in the wine is converted to a more softer, lactic acid, thus, the wine becomes less tart and more silky. But enough theory, let’s get straight to the tasting!
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

Visual
Deep topaz yellow color with some greenish hues towards the rim of the glass.

Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with sweet fruits and citrus flavours: quince, ripe yellow pear, lemon, yellow apple, fresh oakwood, yellow melon, pineapple, yellow mirabelle, white cherry, white tea, camomile, daisy, elderflower, wild flowers, yeast, gouda cheese and some nuanced hints of seabuckthorn oil.

Gustatory
The wine is medium-dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and ripe tannin. This is a creamy, woody and expressive wine with a citrusy-floral profile. It tastes crisp, green and a bit sharp, with a fair overall balance and an austere mouthfeel due to its nuanced acidity and woody tannins. The wine is quite refreshing and nuanced, velvety and elegant at first, yet angular and muscular towards the end of the palate.

Aftertaste
It has a long finish and a two-sided, velvety-sharp aftertaste – like yin and yang.
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This is definitely a fine Wine of Moldova and the overall rating says the same, with 91.6 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 great chardonnay wine on the summit of its prime form – very well balanced, noble and muscular, with quite nuanced angularity, which is characteristic for oaked chardonnay wines. This is the rare example of a wine that can age for another 4 or 5 years before it will start its decline. The wine has a ripe tannic grip on the mouthfeel, which leads to a full-bodied palate, firming beautifully on the finish, where the nuanced citrusy-fruity flavors glide alongside those subtle woody notes and gain traction. Our recommendation is to pair this wine with creamy dishes that are rich in smooth textures, like for example crab legs with garlic and butter or lobster tails with white butter sauce. Enjoy!

WineStatistics tasting results:

ET CETERA
Chardonnay | {barrel fermented} | 2015

grape: | chardonnay |

region: Moldova | Stefan-Voda

overall rating: | 91.6 |

maturity: in its prime

conclusion: fine | highly recommended

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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.