CRICOVA | Feteasca Alba | Extra-Sec | #
feteasca alba
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Today we are going to review a very special sparkling wine from Moldova – Feteasca Alba Extra-Sec by Cricova. This is a single-varietal crémant wine, made from feteasca alba grapes, using the authentic ‘méthode traditionnelle‘ style, with manual bottle remuage and long term ageing ‘sur lie’ – the same way sparkling wines are made in the world’s famous Champagne region. Due to long term second fermentation in the bottle and further bottle maturation, the wine develops creaminess on the palate and has an elegant ‘perlage’, which are the two most essential characteristics of a sparkling wine. But enough theory – without further ado let’s move on, straight to the tasting!
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:
Visual
Pale, straw-yellow color with straw-white hues towards the rim of the glass.
Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with sweet fruit flavours: quince, lemon, white pear, pomelo, gooseberry, pineapple, white apple, apricot, white peach, nectarine, white mulberry, fresh baked bread, crème brûlée, lees, butter and some hints of straw grass.
Gustatory
The wine is medium-dry, with moderate alcohol level, high acidity and ripe tannin. It tastes yeasty, smooth and quite elegant, with a nuanced fruity-sweet accent. This is a fine, lean and citrusy-crisp crémant wine with an fair overall balance – very appealing, a real crowd-pleaser.
Aftertaste
The wine has a medium finish and a velvety-smooth aftertaste, that makes it taste round and rich.
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This is definitely a fine Wine of Moldova and the overall rating says the same, with 90.6 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 fine sparkling wine that is right there, on the peak of its form – creamy, round and lean, with a fruity-yeasty profile and a nuanced citrusy-zesty accent. It may lack some structure and firmness on the body, still it feels quite well balanced and appealing, with a slightly seedy finale. We would recommend to drink it now, as this wine is not meant for long term bottle ageing. In order to amplify its elegance, we would recommend to pair this wine with creamy dishes that are rich in smooth textures, like for example salmon-avocado bruschetta or garlic salmon & shrimp, as the creaminess in the dish will be well complemented by the smoothness of the wine. Enjoy!
WineStatistics tasting results:
CRICOVA
Feteasca Alba | Extra-Sec | #
grape: | feteasca alba |
overall rating: | 90.6 |
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.
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WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a one-time donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a monthly donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a yearly donation so that we can review even more wines.
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