SERVE | Terra Romana | Feteasca Neagra | 2016
feteasca neagra

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Today we are going to review another single varietal feteasca neagra wine, but this time from the Dealurile Munteniei wine region in Muntenia – Terra Romana Feteasca Neagra 2016 by SERVE. Feteasca Neagra is an indigenous romanian variety that has been grown for hundreds of years on substantial plantings in the south of Moldova and eastern Muntenia and today, this is the most famous red variety in Romania. Wines made from feteasca neagra grapes are usually fruit-forward, structured and complex, wines that quite often are compared to merlot and cabernet franc, mostly due to their full body, high tannins and elegant textures. There is a rising demand for feteasca neagra wines both, on the local market as well as on the international markets and many experts name this variety as the visit card of romanian wines. This particular wine is a honest and pure representation of the Ceptura terroir – a wine growing area in Dealu Mare where in 1993 Count Guy Tyrel de Poix fell in love with an indigenous feteasca neagra wine made by Aurel Rotarescu and decided to extend his wine business, thus founding the S.E.R.V.E. company in Romania. 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: medium ruby
clarity: hazy garnet

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & noble
fruit profile: red fruits & black fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | red currant | cranberry
__black fruits: blackcurrant | black plum | blackberry | hints of black cherry
fruit character: ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | other
__spice: red pepper | nutmeg
__oak: roasted oakwood | sun dried oakwood | cherry tree wood
__earth: veal | leather | soil dust | hints of tobacco
__wood: new / light roast

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

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

//Scoring
SERVE | Terra Romana | Feteasca Neagra | 2016
variety: feteasca neagra
country: Romania
region: Dealurile Munteniei
rating: 91.6

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for at least 2-3 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Romania and, with a total of 91.6 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 plump feteasca neagra wine with a mixture of red and black fruits in the foreground, supported by noble oak and spiciness and some very subtle, terroir-driven meaty-earthy hints in the background. The wine feels round and supple, with nuanced acidity, ripe tannins and overwhelming alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel – a wine that is still developing into the bottle, thus one that requires another 2 or 3 years of bottle ageing. All in all, this is a very honest and fair feteasca neagra wine, as it nicely structured and well balanced. It might taste slightly lean, lacking maybe just a bit of muscles on the palate, still, this is a very well made feteasca neagra wine that has both, distinctive personality and the footprint of the Ceptura terroir – a wine that enhances the primary fruit flavours derived from the grape variety above all the over flavours, which is a rare find these days.
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