CRAMA FERDI | Cuvée Pitigaia | 2016
cabernet sauvignon | merlot

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Today we are going to review a very rare wine blend from the Dealu Mare region in Muntenia – Cuvée Pitigaia 2016 by Crama Ferdi. This is a classic Bordeaux blend – a wine that is rightly considered among the Romania’s best, vinified in a style similar to the wines that are made in Maremma Toscana and named in a similar way (Ornellaia, Sassicaia, Lupicaia, -> Pitigaia). This particular wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, signed by Fernando Marius Mihailescu, where cabernet sauvignon forms the main body and structure, whereas merlot adds up-front richness and rounds up the final blend, delivering some much desired smoothness on the finish. Pitigaia is a classic example of modern microvinification, with 24 months of oak ageing, this wine is produced in a very limited edition of only 610 bottles, thus it is a rarity even here 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: deep & noble ruby
clarity: hazy ruby hues

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

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | savory | other
__spice: red pepper | nutmeg | cloves
__oak: roasted oakwood | sweet tobacco
__savory: irony & meaty hints
__other: dried cranberry | subtle hints of violets
__wood: new / medium roasted

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

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

//Scoring
CRAMA FERDI | Cuvée Pitigaia | 2016
variety: cabernet sauvignon | merlot
country: Romania
region: Dealu Mare
rating: 93.0

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for another 2-3 years
verdict: great | a must try

//Prediction
RP rating: 90
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This is definitely a great wine of Romania and, with a total of 93.0 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 definitely a very fine wine indeed – a wine that is still developing, thus one that can age for another 2 or 3 years in the bottle. It tastes rich, rich and round, with a fine-tannic grip on the mouthfeel and a very crisp finale. This is a ripe and fruit-forward wine blend that feels supple, expressive and extremely appealing, with mouth-watering acidity and just a touch of alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel, which makes the wine taste voluptuous and a bit opulent. All in all it has a well structured body, an extracted and fruity foreground, supported by some pronounced oaky notes in the background. This is a wine that has promises of future elegance, while in its current state, the wine delivers pronounced savouriness (is it terroir?) and subtle hints of violets on the nose, with some traits of much desired velvetines on the palate, therefore if you can get one of these, just keep it in your cellar for a couple more years. We would recommend to pair this wine with meaty dishes that are rich in natural umami flavours, like for example venison tenderloin with mushrooms and asparagus or beef tenderloin with black truffle sauce. Enjoy!

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