THE ICONIC ESTATE | Rhein Extra | Rosé | Brut | #
pinot noir

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Today we are going to review a quite intriguing sparkling wine, rightly considered to be one of the best crémant wines of Romania – Rhein Extra Rosé Brut by The Iconic Estate. This is a single-varietal sparkling wine, made of pinot noir grapes (this style is called ‘Blanc de Noirs‘) and produced in accordance to the classic champenoise method, also called ‘méthode traditionelle’, with second fermentation in the bottle. With extensive ‘sur lie’ ageing (ageing on fine lees) and due to long term second fermentation in the bottle and further bottle maturation, the wine develops extra complexity and delivers enhanced creaminess on the palate. The Iconic Estate was formed in 2018 after Alexandrion Group has acquired Halewood Wines and Spirits Romania. Rhein Extra is the oldest romanian classic sparkling wine, making its first appearance at Pivnitele Rhein in 1892, while in 1920, Rhein Extra becomes the official supplier for the romanian royal house. That said and without further ado, let’s move on straight to the tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
color: peach-pink | pale intensity
clarity: clear peach-orange hues

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & noble
fruit profile: sweet fruits
__sweet fruits: quince | pomegranate | cranberry | red grapefruit
fruit character: unripe

//Flavor
non fruit: herbal | lactic | other
__herbal: wheat | hay | buckwheat
__lactic: bread crust | rye bread | bread crumbs | baguette | butter | brioche | toasted bread
__other: dried leafs | sour apples | sour watermelon
__wood: none

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

//Taste
fruit profile: sweet fruits
fruit character: unripe
non fruit: sweet & lactic
finish: med(+)
aftertaste: crisp & seedy

//Scoring
THE ICONIC ESTATE | Rhein Extra | Rosé | Brut | #
variety: pinot noir
country: Romania
region: Dealu Mare
rating: 91.6

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | can age for 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 definitely a very fine crémant wine: smooth, round and creamy – a wine that has already reached the peak of its form, yet one that can age for another 2 or 3 years in the bottle. The wine feels leesy, crisp and seedy, with a very nuanced yeasty-lactic accent on the nose and quite complex and voluptuous body. In its current state, the wine feels nicely balanced and well structured, with well integrated alcohol and appealing acidity. Overall this is a very fine sparkling wine that feels noble and smooth, with a well rounded mouthfeel and a refreshing, crisp and slightly seedy finale. This is a sparkling wine that will do well if paired with creamy dishes and soft cheese, like brie or camembert.

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