CHATEAU CRISTI | Merlot | 2016
merlot

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Today we are going to review another single-varietal merlot wine, a wine that has all the prerequisites to become a local legend – Merlot 2016 by Chateau Cristi. A relatively new name on the winemaker’s ever growing list, Chateau Cristi started it’s activity in 2015 in the Valul lui Traian region. This is one of the winemaker’s flagship wines, made from merlot grapes and produced in a traditional, Bordeaux-style with 6 months of oak ageing in french barrels. Merlot grape variety is usually regarded as the underdog to the highly priced cabernet sauvignon, but make no mistake here, merlot wine is first class as it responds quite well to oak ageing and it can be grown in both, cool climate and warm climate conditions. But enough theory, without further ado, on to the tasting!
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

Visual
Hazy yet noble garnet color with pale copper shades towards the rim of the glass.

Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with ripe red fruit flavours: sour cherry, red plum, sweet cherry, redcurrant, cranberry and cherry tree wood. An instant later the nose is filled with elegant notes of lightly roasted oakwood, red pepper, dried cherry, nutmeg, sun dried oakwood, sweet tobacco and some subtle hints of vanilla and cinnamon.

Gustatory
The wine is dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and fine-grained tannins. It feels fruity, velvety and supple, with a plump and smooth mouthfeel, medium-plus body and a ripe, seedy-grippy accent. This is a well structured merlot wine – harmonious, elegant and round, with a crisp and noble palate. The wine has a good overall balance between primary fruit and oak flavours – a fine merlot wine indeed.

Aftertaste
The wine has a long finish and an elegant, crisp and seedy aftertaste.
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This is definitely an excellent wine of Moldova and, with a total of 92.0 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 one of the finest merlot wines of Moldova – one that is right there, at the summit of its prime form. Although it can definitely age for another year or two in the bottle, we are strongly advocating to drink it today and enjoy it at its finest. The wine has a ripe, fine-tannic grip on the mouthfeel, with nuanced fruitiness and subtle woody notes – it is so amazingly well balanced, that one will hardly tell that it has ever been oaked. In order to elevate its elegance, we would suggest to pair this wine with meaty dishes, rich in natural savory flavours and smooth textures, like for example a very-rare filet mignon steak or tournedos rossini with foie gras, so that all the fruitiness in the wine will be perfectly complemented by the umami flavours of the beef. Enjoy!

WineStatistics tasting results:

CHATEAU CRISTI
Merlot | 2016

grape: | merlot |

region: Moldova | Valul lui Traian

overall rating: | 92.0 |

maturity: in its prime

conclusion: excellent | (a must try)

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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.