BAHU WINERY | Sauvignon Blanc Fumé | 2020
sauvignon blanc

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Today we are going to review a wine that has been relatively recently released on the local market – Sauvignon Blanc Fumé 2020 by Bahu Winery. This is a barrel aged, single-varietal sauvignon blanc wine from Bahu village situated in the Codru region of Moldova, a wine that has been aged for 3 month in oak barrels. Oaked sauvignon blanc wines are mostly referred to as ‘fumé blanc‘ – a term invented by Robert Mondavi in an effort to increase the popularity of sauvignon blanc wines in the United States. Fumé Blanc is a word-game that derives from the famous Pouilly-Fumé appellation and the name of the grape variety that made this small AOC so famous all over the world – sauvignon blanc. Also, fumé (translates as ‘smoky‘ from french) hints at the smoky character of the wine that is imbued by the toasted oak staves of the barrel. 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: pale green color
clarity: clear yellow shades

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & oaky
fruit profile: yellow fruits
__yellow fruits: yellow pear | yellow apple | asian pear | yellow mirabelle
fruit character: ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: herbal | oak
__herbal: hay | straw grass | lemongrass | pear leaf | currant leaf
__oak: fresh oakwood | vanilla sticks
__wood: used | medium toasted

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

//Taste
fruit profile: sweet fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: oak & herbs
finish: medium+
aftertaste: hot & seedy

//Scoring
BAHU WINERY | Sauvignon Blanc Fumé | 2020
variety: sauvignon blanc
country: Moldova
region: Codru
rating: 90.3

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink now
verdict: good | recommended
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This is definitely a good wine of Moldova and with a total of 90.3 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 sauvignon blanc wine, one that is right there, at the peak of its form: oily, smooth and woody. It feels opulent on the palate, yet rough and austere on the mouthfeel, with an overwhelming alcohol warmth and a seedy-hot finale – it definitely lacks some acidity and harmony. With a fruity-herbal profile on the nose, the wine delivers ripe sweet fruits in the foreground, supported by some very nuanced vanilla-oaky notes in the background. Overall the wine tastes quite woody and austere, with a slightly sweet mouthfeel (mostly due to its pronounced oakiness and high alcohol content). This is definitely a wine that should be enjoyed today rather than tomorrow, thus we would not recommend any more bottle ageing – enjoy it while it is still young and flamboyant.

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