PURCARI | Chardonnay de Purcari | 2018
chardonnay

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Tonight we are going to review another single varietal chardonnay wine with the label Made in Moldova – a wine that has been awarded a platinum medal by Decanter World Wine Awards – Chardonnay de Purcari 2018 by Purcari. Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular grape varieties that is prized for its ability to produce high-quality wines in a wide range of climates and terroirs. Stylistically, there are two main types of chardonnay wines: on one hand we have the classic oak-aged style, and on the other hand there’s the crispy-refreshing unoaked style. This specific wine has been aged for at least 6 months in french oak barrels, but let’s get rid of all that theory and, without further ado, let’s move on straight to our tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
concentration: deep
color: yellow
clarity: bright
hue/rim: yellow

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful
fruit profile: green fruits | citrus fruits | stone fruits | tropical fruits
__green fruits: yellow pear | yellow apple | yellow melon | quince
__citrus fruits: lemon | sweet lemon | lemon zest | pomelo
__stone fruits: apricot | white nectarine | pluot | peach
__tropical fruits: pineapple | mango
fruit character: ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: floral | oak
__floral: white rose | acacia blossom
__oak: oakwood | vanilla
__wood: new /  medium
aroma: primary | secondary

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: med(+)
alcohol: med(+)
tannin: med(-)
__grip: firm
body: med(+)
balance: good
__dominant: none
complexity: moderate

//Taste
fruit profile: green fruits | citrus fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: oak
finish: med(+)
aftertaste: crisp

//Scoring
PURCARI | Chardonnay de Purcari | 2018
variety: chardonnay
country: Moldova
region: Stefan Voda
rating: 91.8

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime
verdict: fine
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and with a total of 91.8 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.

Verdict: this is a very fine and crisp chardonnay wine – one that is right there, at the summit of its prime form – round, supple and oaky – drink it now or in the next 6 months. The wine feels noble, quite nuanced and slightly opulent, with a pronounced fruity-citrusy profile and mouth-watering acidity – this is one of the best local chardonnay wines. It might taste a bit wide at the beginning, yet after 10 or 15 minutes in the glass, the wine opens up and one can feel the mix between power and finesse. Fair to say, it still lacks a bit of structure and character on the palate, so maybe a couple more months of barrel ageing would have been welcome. Enjoy!

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