TOHANI | Principele Radu | Merlot | Anul VI | 2015
merlot

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Today we are going to review a wine, whose previous editions impressed us so much, that we’ve decided to try out one more – Principele Radu Merlot Anul VI 2015 by Tohani. This is a single-varietal, 100% merlot wine, which was vinified in a pure Bordeaux style, made with grapes sourced from only 0.7 ha vineyard in the Dealu Mare region, with moderate use of french oak, where preservation of varietal aromatics was the main ideology behind the winemaking process. Merlot is usually regarded as the lesser sibling to the highly priced cabernet sauvignon or cabernet franc varieties, but make no mistake, merlot wine is first class as it is more versatile, ripens earlier than both cabernet grapes, responds well to oak ageing and can be grown in cool climate and warm climate with the same success. This particular wine was created specifically for the Royal House of Romania as a form of homage, intended to express excellence and tradition. 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: medium depth ruby
clarity: hazy garnet shades

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & mature
fruit profile: red fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | red currant | cranberry | wolfberry | red plum | rose hips
fruit character: underripe & ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: oak | earth | other
__oak: cherry tree bark | cherry tree sap
__earth: brown soil dust | beetroot | clay | loam
__other: cherry seeds | red pepper | wormwood
__wood: new / light roast

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

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: underripe
non fruit: spice
finish: medium+
aftertaste: seedy

//Scoring
TOHANI | Principele Radu | Merlot | Anul VI | 2015
variety: merlot
country: Romania
region: Dealu Mare
rating: 93.0

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink now or in the next 2-3 years
verdict: great | a must try wine

//Prediction
RP rating: 90
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This is definitely a great wine of Romania and, with a total of 93.0 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 classic, old-world merlot wine that is right there, at the summit of its prime form – a wine that can still benefit from another year or two in the bottle. This is a wine of great quality, one that delivers fine-grained tannins, mouth-watering acidity and a plethora of mesmerizing flavours on the nose, with notes of ripe red fruits, red pepper and some very nuanced earthy hints of loam and clay in the background. Principele Radu is one of the best merlot wines of Romania: noble and well structured, it feels crisp, supple and seedy, with a voluptuous mouthfeel and well preserved varietal characteristics, supported by some delicate, oak-infused flavours in the background – this is a wine that is mixing elegance with finesse. All in all, this is a fine example of how a terrior-driven wine can be crafted using tradition and what nature has to offer, and the end result is a wine that has both, a distinctive personality and the footprint of the Dealu Mare terroir.

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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.