BUDUREASCA | Premium | Fumé | 2019
chardonnay | sauvignon blanc | pinot gris

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Today we are going to review a quite intriguing and special wine – Premium Fumé 2019 by Budureasca. This wine is a blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and pinot gris grape varieties, where chardonnay forms the main body and structure, sauvignon blanc brings herbal notes to the foreground and that refreshing natural acidity, while pinot gris rounds up and smoothens the final blend. The grapes are sourced from the famous Dealu Mare region in Muntenia, while the wine itself is partially fermented in oak barrels. The name of the wine hints at its character, highlighting those smoky notes that are derived from the oak ageing process. But enough theory, that said and 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: deep yellow color
clarity: clear topaz-yellow hues

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & smoky
fruit profile: yellow fruits | citrus fruits | stone fruits
__yellow fruits: yellow pear | yellow apple
__citrus fruits: lemon | lemon curd
__stone fruits: apricot | yellow mirabelle plum | pluot
fruit character: ripe & overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: herbal | oak | other
__herbal: hay | straw grass | lemongrass | pear leaf 
__oak: smoke & vanilla
__other: hazelnut | walnut | pistachio | almond blossom
__wood: none

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

//Taste
fruit profile: yellow fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: oak & smoke
finish: medium+
aftertaste: appealing

//Scoring
BUDUREASCA | Premium | Fumé | 2019
variety: chardonnay | sauvignon blanc | pinot gris
country: Romania
region: Dealu Mare
rating: 92.8

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink in the next 12 months
verdict: great | a must try
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This is definitely a great wine of Romania and with a total of 92.8 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 white blend that is right there, at the summit of its peak form – a wine that could resist another 12 to 18 months of bottle ageing in proper conditions. It tastes rich and expressive, with a nuanced oaky-smoky accent, overwhelming acidity and a touch of alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel. This is a very oaky wine, smoke and vanilla dominates the nose in a flamboyant and, dare we say, aggressive way, thus making the wine feel woody and appealing, with a quite voluptuous body and a vanilla-sweet finale. The wine displays a rich and complex aromatic profile, aside from the excessive smokiness, it delivers ripe and overripe sweet and citrus fruits in the foreground and some subtle herbal notes in the background. Keep in mind that it is always better to drink a wine a year too soon than a day too late, therefore our recommendation is to forget about ageing and enjoy this wine today, rather than tomorrow. Cheers!
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