CHÂTEAU VARTELY | Individo | Rara Neagra – Malbec – Syrah | 2015
rara neagra | malbec | syrah
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The wine we are going to review tonight is a red wine blend that is neither new nor old – Individo Rara Neagra – Malbec – Syrah 2015 by Château Vartely. This wine is a blend of rara neagra, malbec and syrah varieties, which is a quite unusual blending formula, and is part of the ‘Individo‘ wine series, that is a set of 6 wines, each one with its own identity and personality. Château Vartely is a quite young winery that has managed in a short period of time to become famous for the quality of its wines, but let’s not put too much emphasis on the theory side, without further ado, 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 and noble garnet color with pale, transparent ruby hues towards the rim of the glass.
Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with black fruits and spicy flavours: black cherry, blackcurrant, black plum, black mulberry, blackberry, sour cherry, marionberry, roasted oakwood and cherry tree wood. An instant later the nose is filled with elegant notes of nutmeg, red pepper, anise, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, tobacco, black tea, allspice, black soil dust and some subtle hints of chocolate.
Gustatory
The wine is dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and ripe tannin. It feels velvety, firm and a bit rough, with a nuanced spicy-oaky accent. This is a tannic, tart and quite elegant wine, as it tastes a bit austere, a bit sharp yet seedy and ripe. The wine has a fair overall balance, with a nuanced and expressive fruity profile on the mouthfeel.
Aftertaste
It has a medium-plus finish and an balanced, quite tart and a bit rough aftertaste.
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This is definitely a fine Wine of Moldova and the overall rating says the same, with 90.5 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 young yet complex wine that is still on the rise – too young to drink now as it still lacks structure and harmony. It feels angular due to highlighted acidity and the bitter-seedy accent, with quite nuanced astringency – a wine that has yet to settle down and round up its body. We would recommend 2 to 3 more years of bottle ageing, so that the wine will get closer to its prime form, as the potential is definitely there. We would suggest to pair this wine with meaty dishes that are rich in umami flavours, like for example a spicy meat & cheese platter or an asian steak. Enjoy!
WineStatistics tasting results:
CHÂTEAU VARTELY
Individo | Rara Neagra – Malbec – Syrah | 2015
grape: | rara neagra | malbec | syrah |
overall rating: | 90.5 |
maturity: on the rise
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.
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