VINARIA DIN VALE | Apogeu | Limited Edition | 2016 + 2017
feteasca neagra | malbec | rara neagra

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Today we are going to review another quite unique wine, that has been produced in a limited edition of 4444 bottles – Apogeu Limited Edition 2016 + 2017 by Vinaria din Vale. This is a quite special blend, not only because of the three grape varieties used (two indigenous in feteasca neagra and rara neagra, and one international in malbec), but also because this is a blend of two different vintages – the grape varieties that made up the blend are of the 2016 and 2017 vintages. Needles to say that this is the winemaker’s flagship wine, aged for 6 months in Seguin Moreau french oak barriques, this wine is concepted to appeal to the taste of wine enthusiasts and wine experts alike. But let’s skip all that theory and, without further ado, move on – straight to the wine tasting phase!
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

Visual
Hazy ruby color with pale purple shades towards the rim of the glass.

Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with red & black fruit flavours: ripe sour cherry, blue plum, blackcurrant, blackberry, leather, ripe redcurrant, blueberry, black raspberry, aronia berry, black mulberry, black plum jam, black soil dust and cherry tree wood. An instant later the nose is filled with nuanced notes of roasted oakwood, red pepper, nutmeg, cloves, sweet tobacco and some subtle hints of dried meat.

Gustatory
The wine is medium-dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and firm tannin. It feels tart, seedy and youthful, with a nuanced bitter-crisp accent. This is a quite plump, round and supple wine, as it tastes fruity, savory and maybe just a bit angular, with an acrid finale due to overwhelming acidity on the mouthfeel. The wine has a fair overall balance, as it might lack some character and structure, despite that, it is still a crowd-pleaser: lush and lean, this wine is very appealing and austere at the same time.

Aftertaste
The wine has a long finish and a quite pleasing, yet  bit too acrid aftertaste.
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and, with a total of 90.3 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 nice example of a wine that is too youthful and still on the rise, as in its current state it lacks elegance and finesse. With a seedy-tart finale, this wine needs a bit of time to build more structure and complexity. It has a quite good ageing potential (about 2 or 3 more years) and is evolving nicely in the glass – this is a wine that requires time to settle down and round up its edges, therefore 30 minute of aeration is a must. Our recommendation is to pair it with meaty dishes with sweet accents, like for example a balsamic-glazed sirloin steak or a filet mignon with blueberry glaze. Noroc!

WineStatistics tasting results:

VINARIA DIN VALE
Apogeu | Limited Edition | 2016 + 2017

grape: | feteasca neagra | malbec | rara neagra |

region: Moldova | Valul lui Traian

overall rating: | 90.3 |

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.