DAC | Legendar | 2016
cabernet sauvignon | merlot

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Today we are going to review a wine that is vinified in a classic Bordeaux-style – Legendar 2016 by Vinaria Dac. This is a blend of two classic Bordeaux varieties – cabernet sauvignon and merlot, which in fact is the world’s most famous blending formula, where cabernet sauvignon forms the main body and structure, adding texture due to its firm tannins, while merlot adds smoothness and rounds up the final blend with red fruit flavors and a more refined mid-palate. But even though the winemaking technique old-world inspired, the wine itself is breeded as a new-world blend. But let’s skip all that theory and, without further ado, let’s move on, straight to the wine tasting!
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

Visual
Deep and noble garnet color with pale copper shades towards the rim of the glass.

Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with ripe red & black fruit flavours: sour cherry, red plum, redcurrant, black cherry, black plum, blackcurrant, blackberry and cherry tree wood. An instant later the nose is filled with nuanced notes of roasted oakwood, red pepper, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves and some nuanced hints of sweet tobacco.

Gustatory
The wine is dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and rough tannin. It feels fruity, supple and plump, with a nuanced bitter-seedy accent. This is a quite tart, rough and angular wine, as it tastes youthful, a bit woody and a bit too aggressive, with a touch of alcoholic burn on the mouthfeel. The wine has a fair overall balance, with a nuanced fruity-tannic palate, this is a wine that definitely lacks some harmony and elegance.

Aftertaste
The wine has a long finish and a seedy, crisp but rough aftertaste.
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and, with a total of 90.8 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 wine that is yet too young to be consumed – clearly still on the rise, as in its current state it lacks any form of elegance and finesse. With a rough, seedy-tart finale, this wine definitely needs more time to build complexity and smoothen its sharp edges, therefore we would strongly advocate for at least 2 more years of bottle ageing. Despite its youthfulness, the wine is evolving quite nicely in the glass, thus a 25 or 30 minutes of aeration is a must. Our recommendation is to pair it with meaty dishes rich in spicy accents and natural umami flavours, like for example a french roast beef. Cheers!

WineStatistics tasting results:

DAC
Legendar | 2016

grape: | cabernet sauvignon | merlot |

region: Moldova | Stefan-Voda

overall rating: | 90.8 |

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.