TERRA DACIA | Zaiber | 2019
seibel

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Today we are going to review a very unique wine, as it is the very first single-varietal seibel wine that we have ever tasted – Zaiber 2019 by Terra Dacia. Zaiber, or Zaibar as it is known in Romania, is a french hybrid grape variety, developed by Albert Seiber by artificial crossing of the Jaeger 70 and Vitis Vinifera, hence it’s official name – Seibel 1. The aim of the crossing was to obtain a grape variety that would be resistant to phylloxera radicicola – an aphid-like insect that spread destruction amongst european vineyards. Native american rootstocks are resistant to phylloxera, while european varieties are susceptible, therefore when the insect invaded in Europe in 1860’s, it almost destroyed the wine industry. However, european vines were saved by grafting them onto imported american rootstocks, hence the many developed hybrid grape varieties that flooded the european markets afterwards. In Romania Seibel (or Zaibar) is a very famous grape variety, especially in the Oltenia region, where it became local favorite for almost every household. From Oltenia, Zaibar made its way to Moldova, where it is called Zaber and can be found mostly in the south-east, along the romanian borders. 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 ruby
clarity: clear garnet

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & noble
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: blackberry | blackcurrant | aronia berry | wild black cherry | black plum
fruit character: overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | other
__spice: black pepper | cloves | allspice
__oak: roasted oakwood | charred wood | hints of liquorice
__other: cherry tree sap | cherry tree bark
__wood: new / heavy roast

//Palate
sweetness: bone dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: green
balance: fair
__dominant: acidity & alcohol
body: rough | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: overripe
non fruit: oak
finish: med(+)
aftertaste: rough

//Scoring
TERRA DACIA | Zaiber | 2019
variety: seibel
country: Moldova
region: Stefan Voda
rating: 91.0

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for another 2-3 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and, with a total of 91.0 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 grippy wine with overwhelming acidity and a very nuanced alcoholic burn on the mouthfeel. It feels ripe, fruity-driven and quite oaky – a wine that is still developing into the bottle, thus one that requires 2 or 3 more years of bottle ageing. It tastes rich, sharp and angular, with overripe black fruits in the foreground and noble woody notes in the background. This is a very extracted, plump and slightly rough wine, with an expressive palate, a heavy-tannic grip on the mouthfeel and a bitter-seedy and tart finale – a wine that lacks a bit of balance and harmony between its elements. With fine-grained tannins, mouth-watering acidity and a crisp finale, this is a fine example of how a terrior-driven wine can be crafted using tradition and technology. All in all, this is definitely a wine that has muscles and distinctive personality. Highly recommended!
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