BALLA GÉZA | Wine Princess | Cabernet Franc | 2016
cabernet franc
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Today we are going to review a single varietal cabernet franc wine from Romania – Wine Princess Cabernet Franc 2016 by Balla Géza. The ‘other cabernet’ grape, cabernet franc is the parent grape for the two famous international varieties: cabernet sauvignon and merlot. It is less intense and softer than cabernet sauvignon and it ripens much earlier, and for this reason it is planted as an insurance grape against cabernet sauvignon failure to ripen properly, mostly in colder climates. It is also much more resistant to winter cold and frost than merlot, which makes it quite a commodity, especially in St-Emilion and Bolgheri. One thing that makes cabernet franc unique is that it can’t hide its nature – it has always been a bit more peppery, savory and leaner as compared to its pedigree children. But enough theory, without further ado, let’s take a look at the tasting results!
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:
Visual
Very deep and noble ruby color with elegant crimson shades towards the rim of the glass.
Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with black fruits and savory flavours: leather, black cherry, veal, black plum, capocollo, sour cherry, violets, blackcurrant, blackberry, black raspberry, overripe sour cherry and cherry tree wood. An instant later the nose is filled with elegant notes of lightly roasted oakwood, black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, tobacco, smoked plum, capsicum and some nuanced irony hints.
Gustatory
The wine is dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and firm tannins. It feels fruity yet savory, seedy and supple, with a crisp palate and a touch of alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel. This is a quite velvety, well structured wine that has a very nuanced, firm and grippy tannic accent. The wine has a good overall balance between primary fruit and oak-infused flavours and despite it might feel a bit youthful, this is a very fine and well balanced cabernet franc wine.
Aftertaste
The wine has a long finish and an elegant, seedy-crisp aftertaste.
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This is definitely an excellent wine of Romania 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 cabernet franc wines we’ve ever tasted – one that is very close to its peak form. Although it still needs another year or two in the bottle to round up, we are strongly advocating to drink it today and enjoy it at its finest. The wine has been aged in large oak barrels in order to gain some much desired elegance and it shows: with a firm tannic grip on the mouthfeel, nuanced fruity-savory profile and subtle woody notes, this wine is very well balanced and refined – all it lacks is just a bit of finesse and refinement. In order to elevate its elegance, we would suggest to pair this wine with meaty dishes that are rich in natural savoriness and smooth textures, like for example a very-rare filet mignon steak or tournedos rossini with foie gras, so that all the flavours in the wine will be perfectly complemented by the textures of the dish. Enjoy!
WineStatistics tasting results:
BALLA GÉZA
Wine Princess | Cabernet Franc | 2016
grape: | cabernet franc |
overall rating: | 92.0 |
maturity: on the rise
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.
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WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
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WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a monthly donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a yearly donation so that we can review even more wines.
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