CARPE DIEM | Bad Boys | 2016
feteasca neagra | saperavi
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Tonight we are going to review a very interesting wine – Bad Boys 2016 by Carpe Diem. This is a red wine blend, made from the synergy of two indigenous grape varieties – one native to Moldova, feteasca neagra, which forms the main body and structure, while also adding delicateness and local terroir to the blend, and one native to Georgia, saperavi, which adds more color extract and nuanced dark fruit flavours. And because this wine is part of the winemaker’s flagship line, it has been produced in a limited edition of only 6150 bottles and aged for 12 months in new, french oak barriques, in order to increase complexity and the wine’s aromatics. That said, 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
Deep and noble ruby color with elegant garnet shades towards the rim of the glass.
Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with ripe black and spice flavours: cherry tree wood, black cherry, blackberry, black soil dust, blackcurrant, black mulberry, black plum and insistent flavours of black tea. An instant later the nose is filled with notes of roasted oakwood, black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, sweet tobacco, sweetwood and some subtle hints of vanilla.
Gustatory
The wine is extra-dry, with strong alcohol level, high acidity and seedy tannins. It feels austere, woody and aggressive, with a rough and tart mouthfeel and a quite muscular, full body. This is an angular, bitter-seedy and oaky wine, that tastes fruity, tannic and quite charred, with quite a touch of alcoholic warmth showing through on the palate. Overall, the wine has a fair balance, where primary fruit aromas are mostly dominated by the oak-infused flavours, thus it creates the impression of a firm, extracted yet roasted wine that lacks harmony, finesse and elegance.
Aftertaste
The wine has a long finish and a rough, bitter-seedy and austere aftertaste.
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and, with a total of 91.1 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: overall this is a fine local wine blend that is still on the rise – a wine that has yet to reach the summit of its prime form – extracted, firm and oaky, with a seedy-tannic grip on the mouthfeel and overwhelming acidity. This is definitely a wine that can still age for another year or two, yet our recommendation is to drink it today rather than tomorrow. We’ve already mentioned that it is of paramount importance to understand a wine’s limits, as it is always better to drink a wine a year too soon than a day too late. That said, we would suggest to pair this wine with peppery or barbequed meaty dishes, like for example a barbequed sirloin steak or a seared new york steak, so that all those woody-charred notes in the wine will be complemented by the spicy flavours of the dish. Cheers!
WineStatistics tasting results:
CARPE DIEM
Bad Boys | 2016
grape: | feteasca neagra | saperavi |
overall rating: | 91.1 |
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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