NOVAK | #1 Red Blend | 2018
merlot | saperavi | cabernet sauvignon | rara neagra

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Today we are going to review a curious wine blend from the Valul lui Traian wine region in Moldova – #1 Red Blend 2018 by Novak Winery. This is the winemaker’s flagship wine – a blend of merlot, saperavi, cabernet sauvignon and rara neagra, made of grapes sourced from both, young and old vines, with long maturation in several types of barrels and additional bottle aging before its market release. The wine is also part of the winemaker’s Black Label line and is produced in a relatively limited edition. Wine blending is part science and part art, as it takes years to master it and requires experience, skill and knowledge. 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 indigo hues

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & vinous
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits | blue fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | red plum
__black fruits: black plum | blackberry
__blue fruits: blue plum | blue huckleberry
fruit character: overripe & baked

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earthy | other
__spice: red pepper
__oak: cherry tree wood | hints of oakwood
__earthy: dust | black soil | beetroot | sweet potato | mushrooms
__other: baked plums | iron | veal | raw meat 
__wood: old & new / light & medium toasted

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

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits & blue fruits
fruit character: overripe
non fruit: savory & earthy
finish: med(+)
aftertaste: crisp

//Scoring
NOVAK | #1 Red Blend | 2018
variety: merlot | saperavi | cabernet sauvignon | rara neagra
country: Moldova
region: Valul lui Traian
rating: 91.1

//Conclusion
maturity: youthful | close to its prime
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and, with a total of 91.1 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 nice wine blend – fruity-savory, supple and opulent, with overwhelming acidity and a touch of alcoholic warmth on the plate. This wine needs a bit more time in the bottle (2 to 3 years should be fine) before it will reach the peak of its form, as in its current state it tastes slightly wide, tart and lean. The wine has a fine-tannic grip on the mouthfeel, medium body and a very crisp and round finale. What this wine lacks today is a bit structure and finesse on the palate, as the acidity is clearly dominating it, which in turn makes the wine taste a bit flabby. All in all this is a quite smooth and appealing wine blend, with a nuanced fruity-rustic accent, delivering lots of overripe red and blue fruits, that are nicely complemented by subtle earthy and oaky hints in the background – a fine wine blend indeed.
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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.