PURCARI | Viorica de Purcari | 2020
viorica

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Today we are going to review a single varietal viorica wine, which is an indigenous local variety – a hybrid grape, made by crossing the two red varieties, seibel and aleatico – Viorica de Purcari 2020 by Purcari. Viorica is a rare, light-skinned white grape variety that is little known outside of Moldova, as it is mainly used in production of table wines. It was long considered the visit card of Moldova’s wines, as it is distinguished by an expressive and intense aromatic bouquet, reminiscent of wild flowers and sweet fruits. Viorica is traditionally vinified off-dry or semi-sweet due to its nuanced aromatics, resulting in truly unique and flamboyant wines. This is a variety with a strong personality: citrusy-floral on the nose, with a touch of honey in the background – a variety that has only recently been introduced to the international market, where it has been highly appreciated by Decanter World Wine Awards – one of the most appreciated wine tasting competitions. That said, without further ado, let’s move on straight to our tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
color: straw yellow
clarity: clear green shades

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful
fruit profile: sweet fruits & citrus fruits
__sweet fruits: yellow pear | yellow apple | apricot
__citrus fruits: sweet lemon
fruit character: overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: floral & herbal | sweet
__floral: acacia blossom | linden flower | rose petals | honeysuckle | iris | lilac
__herbal: chamomile | marguerite daisy
__sweet: pear candy | apple candy
__wood: none

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: med(-)
__grip: green
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol
body: lean | medium

//Taste
fruit profile: sweet fruits & citrus fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: floral & herbal
finish: med(+)
aftertaste: green | bitter-crisp

//Scoring
PURCARI | Viorica de Purcari | 2020
variety: viorica
country: Moldova
region: Stefan Voda
rating: 91.7

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink now
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and with a total of 91.7 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 a very fine viorica wine that is right there, at the peak of its form: lean, round and refreshingly crisp. The wine feel slightly angular and highly aromatic, with a light and a bit green palate, a nuanced fruity-floral accent and a bitter-seedy finale. The wine also displays some nice and insistent herbal hints on the nose, with well mouth-watering acidity and an overwhelming alcohol warmth on the mouthfeel. Overall this is a quite refined viorica wine and our recommendation would be to drink it today or in the next 3 to 6 months and pair it with some naturally scented dishes, like for example mahi-mahi fillets with lemon or some arugula and pear salad with goat cheese or blue cheese. Enjoy!

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