PURCARI | Negru de Purcari | Vintage | 2017
cabernet sauvignon | saperavi | rara neagra

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Today we are going to review a wine that has gained legendary status over the years – Negru de Purcari Vintage 2017 from Purcari. This wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon (70%), saperavi (25%) and rara neagra (5%) grape varieties, harvested and selected by hand, produced using traditional methods and aged for 18 months in french oak barriques – a wine that is still considered as a reference points for many consumers, as well as winemakers. The three varieties are combined almost to perfection, where cabernet sauvignon forms the main body and structure, saperavi adds velvetines to the blend and very elegant notes of leather, while rara neagra brings on hints of local terroir and some subtle rustic accents that are sought-after by the wine consumers. That said, 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
colour: deep & opaque ruby
clarity: very clear indigo hues

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & clean
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry
__black fruits: black cherry | black plum | blackcurrant | blackberry | black mulberry
fruit character: overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | sweet
__spice: black pepper | nutmeg
__oak: roasted oakwood | liquorice | tobacco | charred wood | hints of vanilla
__sweet: black plum jam | hints of chocolate
__wood: new / medium+ roast

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: med(+)
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: acidity & alcohol
body: round & full

//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: med(+)
aftertaste: seedy-crisp

//Scoring
PURCARI | Negru de Purcari | Vintage | 2017
variety: cabernet sauvignon | saperavi | rara neagra
country: Moldova
region: Stefan Voda
rating: 92.7

//Conclusion
maturity: on the rise | developing
verdict: great | a must try
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This is definitely a great wine of Moldova and, with a total of 92.7 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 a very fine wine blend – one that still needs another 3 or 4 years of bottle ageing in order to further develop and round up, before it will reach the peak of its form. It tastes round, plump and firm, with a nuanced fruity-oaky profile and a touch of alcoholic warmth showing through on the mouthfeel. The wine feels well structured and bold, with overwhelming acidity, ripe tannins and a seedy-crisp finale, where primary fruit is complemented very nicely by those rich, oak-infused flavours. This is a very appealing wine with a rich palate, expressie fruit on the nose and some woody-sweet notes in the background – a wine that will do nicely when paired with some extra-rare pepper stakes. One last suggestion is to aerate this wine at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
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