DOMENIILE DAVIDESCU | Feteasca Neagra & Malbec | 2017
feteasca neagra | malbec

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Today we are going to review a wine that was recently released on the local marked – Feteasca Neagra & Malbec 2017 by Domeniile Davidescu. This wine is a blend made of feteasca neagra and malbec grape varieties, where feteasca neagra forms the main body and structure, while malbec builds the flavour profile and delivers more suppleness on the palate. The wine comes from the famous Valul lui Traian region, with grapes sourced from clay-loam soils and it has been aged in french oak in order to gain more structure and complexity. Blending wines is part art and part science, as it requires years of knowledge and skill, thus that the winemaker is expected to know what is the supposed end result beforehand, also blending requires a lot of time and many wine tastings sessions. But enough theory, that said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
concentration: medium
colour: garnet
clarity: hazy
hue/rim: copper

//Olfactory
intensity: rich
fruit profile: red fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | red plum | red currant | cranberry | red apple
fruit character: baked & cooked

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | earth | other
__spice: red pepper
__earth: brown soil dust
__other: cherrytree wood | beetroot | sweet potato | wolfberry | rose hips
__wood: old | light

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: med(-)
__grip: green
body: sharp | medium+
balance: fair
__dominant: alcohol
complexity: simple

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: baked & cooked
non fruit: earth | other
finish: medium
aftertaste: rough & sharp

//Scoring
DOMENIILE DAVIDESCU | Feteasca Neagra & Malbec | 2017
variety: feteasca neagra | malbec
country: Moldova
region: Valul lui Traian
rating: 88.5

//Conclusion
maturity: developing
verdict: fair | not bad
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This is definitely a fair wine of Moldova and, with a total of 88.5 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 fair wine blend that is still to developing, as in its current state it feels tart, bitter and seedy, with cooked and baked red fruits and some nuanced savory flavours of beetroot and sweet potato. The wine tastes sharp, rough and angular, with a nuanced alcoholic burn on the mouthfeel. In its current state the wine lacks harmony and structure, so maybe a couple more months of bottle ageing will improve the wine’s balance. Overall this is a quite edgy and austere wine, with nuanced overcooked fruit and hints of spice. In order to maximize its character, we would suggest to pair this wine with meaty dishes that are rich in flavour, like for example some beef tenderloin steak with herb sauce, as those smooth-irony accents in the dish will complement nicely all those bitter-tart notes in the wine. Cheers!
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