CRICOVA | Reserve | Alb de Onitcani | Brut Alb | #
alb de onitcani

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Tonight we are going to review a quite intriguing wine that was relatively recently released on the local market – Reserve Alb de Onitcani Brut Alb by Cricova. This is a single-varietal sparkling wine, made of alb de onitcani grapes and produced in accordance with the italian transfer method. This method is identical to the traditional method, except that wines are not riddled and disgorged in the same manner, instead, the bottles are emptied into a pressurized tank and sent through pressurized filters to remove the dead yeast bits (the lees), then the wines are bottled using pressurized fillers. Alb de Onitcani is a rare local variety that has a promising future, that is also used for divin production, but enough with all that theory. That said, without further ado, let’s move on straight to the tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

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

//Olfactory
intensity: rich
fruit profile: green fruits | citrus fruits | stone fruits
__green fruits: yellow apple | pear | quince | wild pear | asian pear
__citrus fruits: pomelo | sweet lemon
__stone fruits: apricot | nectarine
fruit character: ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: floral | herbal
__floral: linden flower | marguerite daisy
__herbal: straw grass | meadow
__wood: none
aroma: primary | secondary

//Palate
sweetness: off dry
acidity: med(+)
alcohol: med(+)
tannin: med(-)
__grip: ripe
body: round
balance: fair
__dominant: sugar | acidity
complexity: simple

//Taste
fruit profile: stone fruits | stone fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: floral | herbal 
finish: medium
aftertaste: sweet & crisp

//Scoring
CRICOVA | Reserve | Alb de Onitcani | Brut Alb | #
variety: alb de onitcani
country: Moldova
region: Codru
rating: 90.4

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime
verdict: fine
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and with a total of 90.4 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 fine sparkling wine – one that should be enjoyed today or in the next 3 to 6 months. It tastes round, slightly sweet and fruity, with nuanced floral accents. It does taste a bit too sweet for a brut wine, closer to an off-dry one, yet it feels quite crisp and very appealing – a real crowd-pleaser. It might lack the elegance of a classic champagne, nor does it have the razor-sharp freshness of a prosecco, still, this is a very fine sparkling wine – aromatic, nuanced and supple, with a very nice overall balance between all its elements – a wine that will go well alongside some oven baked sea bream or mahi-mahi with butter & garlic dressing. Enjoy!

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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.