VALAHORUM | Mierla Alba | 2017
feteasca neagra | merlot

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Today we are going to review a very rare wine from the Dealu Mare wine region in Muntenia – Valahorum Mierla Alba 2017 by Tohani. This is the winemaker’s flagship wine, a blend of feteasca neagra (90%) and a bit of merlot (10%), where feteasca neagra forms the main body and structure, whereas merlot builds the flavour profile and rounds the final blend. This is the only wine of the Mierla Alba winery and is designed to represent the Dealu Mare terroir at its finest – a wine that is signed by none other than Razvan Macici – the world famous romanian oenologist. The wine is made of grapes that are sourced from 50-years old vines that are grown in a natural amphitheatre in the Dealu Mare region on clay-rich soils and it has been aged for 24 months (feteasca neagra) and 20 months (merlot) in romanian oak, followed by another 12 months of bottle ageing before being released on the market. That said and 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: pale ruby color
clarity: hazy garnet hues

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & clean
fruit profile: red fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | red currant | cranberry | red plum
fruit character: ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: vegetal | spice | oak | savory | earthy
__vegetal: tomato leaf | wormwood | currant leaf
__spice: red pepper
__oak: cherry tree wood | dried oakwood
__savory: leather | iron | veal
__earthy: clay | loam | brown soil dust
__wood: old & new / medium roast

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

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: vegetal & spicy
finish: med(+)
aftertaste: seedy & hot

//Scoring
VALAHORUM | Mierla Alba | 2017
variety: feteasca neagra | merlot
country: Romania
region: Dealu Mare
rating: 91.2

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | 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 91.2 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 wine blend that is made in an old-world style, with a savory-herbal profile, supple body, and a nuanced alcoholic warmth on the plate. This wine needs a more time in the bottle (2 to 3 years should be fine) before it will reach the peak of its form and will open up in all its beauty, as in its current state it tastes austere, hot and sharp. The wine feels slightly green, with mouth-watering acidity and a bitter-seedy finale that is very nicely complemented by those ripe, red fruit notes in the background. What this wine lacks today is a bit of harmony and finesse on the palate, as the alcohol is clearly dominating it, which in turn makes the wine taste hot and angular. All in all this is a nicely structured wine blend, with a lean body and an appealing rustic accent that is nicely complemented by some subtle, earthy-oaky hints in the background – a very fine wine blend indeed and one that will do amazingly well alongside some naturally scented meats, like for example a venison steak or some duck breast fillets. Cheers!
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