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Today we are going to review a single varietal syrah wine from Romania – Selene Syrah 2015 by Cramele Recas. Selene is the winemaker’s premium line for of wines, made of grapes that are picked at night, hence the Selene name, which is the personification of the moon in greek mythology. This syrah comes from the Recas region in Banat – it has been aged for at least 6 months in oak barrels and bottled unfiltered in order to preserve the main varietal flavours. In a world where bigger is better, syrah is the ideal choice, as it is darker, bolder and spicier than cabernet sauvignon and contains a high amounts of health-invigorating antioxidants. 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 garnet color with hazy copper shades towards the rim of the glass.
Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with red and black fruits and nuanced herbaceous flavours: sour cherry, red plum, leather, redcurrant, cranberry, wild cherry, overripe blackberry and cherry tree wood. An instant later the nose is filled with insistent notes of horse saddle, iron, oakwood, red pepper, allspice, cloves and some hints of dried meat.
Gustatory
The wine is dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and ripe tannin. It feels spicy, leathery and firm, with a bold, yet supple body, crisp acidity and grippy tannins. This is a fruit-forward, a bit woody and a quite complex syrah wine. It has a very appealing and noble mouthfeel and a fair overall balance between primary fruit and oak flavours.
Aftertaste
The wine has a long finish and a quite pleasing, seedy-ripe aftertaste.
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This is definitely a fine wine of Romania and, with a total of 91.4 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 syrah wine that is quite close to its prime form – yet, one that requires another year or two before it gets there. What makes this wine special is the elegant harmony between varietal aromatics of the syrah grapes and the flavours enhanced by the oak ageing – a combination that makes this wine a real crowd-pleaser. That said, for the best wine & food experience, we would strongly recommend to pair this wine with spicy meaty dishes that are rich in natural fat, like for example a spicy t-bone steak or some balsamic pork chops. Cheers!
WineStatistics tasting results:
SELENE
Syrah | 2015
grape: | syrah |
overall rating: | 91.4 |
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.
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