CRICOVA | Grand Vintage | Brut | 2012
pinot noir

We will be evaluating wines in no particular order on no particular schedule. Just stay tuned and you will never miss our reviews. If the wine is tasted more than once, the rating table will be updated so as to reflect all the new impressions and observations.

Today we present you one of the best crémant wines ever made in Moldova – Grand Vintage Brut 2012 by Cricova. This is a classic sparkling wine, made of 100% pinot noir grapes (this style is called ‘Blanc de Noir‘) and produced in accordance to the classic champenoise method, also called ‘méthode traditionelle’, with second fermentation in the bottle. With manual bottle remuage and ‘sur lie’ ageing (ageing on fine lees), this wine is the winemaker’s flagship cuvée. Due to long term second fermentation in the bottle and further bottle maturation, the wine develops extra complexity and delivers enhanced creaminess on the palate. Also, this is a so called ‘millésime’ crémant wine, which means that it was created from a single harvest, that of 2012, but enough with all that theory. That said, without further ado, let’s move on straight to the tasting results.
___________________________________________________________________________
Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
concentration: translucent
color: straw-white
clarity: bright
hue/rim: yellowish

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful
fruit profile: green fruits | citrus fruits
__green fruits: apple | pear | quince | gooseberry | white cherry
__citrus fruits: sweet lemon | lemon
fruit character: baked | ripe | overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: sweet | lactic | other
__sweet: canned pineapple | baked apple | candied quince
__lactic: baguette | crème brûlée | butter | yeast
__other: wheat | hay | sawdust
__wood: none

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: med(-)
tannin: low
__grip: fine
body: round | creamy
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
complexity: moderate

//Taste
fruit profile: green fruits | sweet fruits
fruit character: ripe | overripe
non fruit: sweet | lactic
finish: medium
aftertaste: crisp & fresh

//Scoring
CRICOVA | Grand Vintage | Brut | 2012
variety: pinot noir
country: Moldova
region: Codru
rating: 91.9

//Conclusion
maturity: on the rise | youthful
verdict: fine | highly recommended
___________________________________________________________________________
This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and with a total of 91.9 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 definitely one of the best local crémant wines – extremely refreshing, crisp and very appealing – a wine that is still too youthful to be enjoyed today, therethore at least 3 or 4 more years of bottle ageing should be seriously considered. The wine feels fruity, round and lean, with a nuanced lactic accent and some hints of future elegance or finesse. In its current state, the wine hase overwhelming acidity, which creates the sensation that it might lack some body and structure. Overall this is a very good sparkling wine: fruity, supple and creamy – a wine with a great ageing potential that needs time to develop – one that will go well with slightly creamy dishes or paired with some soft cheese, like brie or camembert. Enjoy!
___________________________________________________________________________
© 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.