UNICORN ESTATE | Symbioz | Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot – Rara Neagra | 2015
cabernet sauvignon | merlot | rara neagra

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Tonight we are going to review a wine that is rising in popularity with each passing day – Symbioz Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot – Rara Neagra 2015 by Unicorn Estate. This is a wine blend made of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and rara neagra varieties and is part of the ‘Symbioz’ line, which is the winemaker’s private collection and, as is the norm for those kind of wines, it has been aged for 12 months in american and french oak barrels. But let’s skip all this boring theory and move on straight to the fun part – 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 ruby color, not very opaque, with elegant garnet shades towards the rim of the glass.

Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with black fruits and spicy flavours: blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, black plum, dried cherry, black mulberry, smoked plum, overripe sour cherry and cherry tree wood. An instant later the nose is filled with nuanced notes of roasted oakwood, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, sweet wood, red pepper, rooibos tea, leather, sweet tobacco and some subtle hints of cinnamon.

Gustatory
The wine is dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and fine tannin. It feels young, fruity and tart, with a nuanced bitter-seedy accent. This is a quite elegant, lean and round wine, as it tastes crisp and appealing, with fine-grained tannins. The wine has a fair overall balance between fruit and barrique, with a touch of alcoholic warmth showing through on the mouthfeel.

Aftertaste
The wine has a long finish and an balanced, tart and seedy aftertaste.
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and, with a total of 91.0 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Conclusion: this is a fine example of an elegant wine that is still on the rise, as in its current state it lacks a bit of harmony and firmness on the palate. With a seedy-tart finale, this wine needs a bit of time to build more structure and complexity. It has a very good ageing potential (about 3 to 5 years) and is evolving nicely in the glass, thus a 30 minutes aeration is a must. Our recommendation is to pair this wine with meaty dishes that are rich in smooth textures and natural meaty flavours, like for example a crusted beef carpaccio with parmesan cheese or a classic beef tartare with capers. Cheers!

WineStatistics tasting results:

UNICORN ESTATE
Symbioz | Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot – Rara Neagra | 2015

grape: | cabernet sauvignon | merlot | rara neagra |

region: Moldova | Stefan-Voda

overall rating: | 91.0 |

maturity: on the rise

conclusion: fine | (highly recommended)

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© 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. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.