CARASTELEC | Vinca | Theresia | Rhein Riesling | 2019
riesling

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Today we are going to review a very special wine, as this is a single-varietal riesling from the Crisana region in the north-western Romania – Vinca Theresia Rhein Riesling 2019 by Carastelec Winery. Riesling must be the world’s most misunderstood grape variety, as the resulting wines are unlike any others – light in alcohol, high in natural acidity, with the ability to transmit the terrior through its extract and unique aromatics and, what makes it stand out from the crowd, riesling wines are capable of ageing for decades. Relative to other internationally famous grape varieties, riesling ripens quite early, so when planted in a hot climate its juice can be overripe and flabby, while in a cool climate it has the chance to stay on the vine late into the autumn, hence the german obsession with late harvest riesling wines. This particular wine comes from a cool climate, therefore is made of grapes that were grown in optimal conditions to reach phenolic ripeness. The wine is named after Maria Theresia Archduchess of Austria and Grand Princess of Transylvania, who ordered the reconstruction of the catholic church in Carastelec in 1777. 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: straw yellow color
clarity: translucent green hues

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & rubbery
fruit profile: green fruits | citrus fruits
__green fruits: apple | quince | gooseberry | green pear | green apricot | wild pear
__citrus fruits: lemon | kiwi | lime | green grapefruit
fruit character: underripe & ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: herbal | earth | other
__herbal: currant leaf | green grass | nettle
__earth: chalk | slate | flint | petrichor
__other: rubber | petroleum | almonds | cashew
__wood: none

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: medium
tannin: low
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: none
body: lean | medium-

//Taste
fruit profile: green fruits & citrus fruits
fruit character: underripe & ripe
non fruit: herbaceous & earthy
finish: medium+
aftertaste: crisp & velvety

//Scoring
CARASTELEC | Vinca | Theresia | Rhein Riesling | 2019
variety: riesling
country: Romania | Transilvania
region: Crisana | Silvania
rating: 94.0

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | can age for 2 more years
verdict: great | a must try wine
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This is definitely a great wine of Romania and with a total of 94.0 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 an outstanding riesling wine – one of the best we’ve ever tasted so far, a wine that is at the peak of its prime form: refreshingly crisp, zingy and extremely appealing. This wine has the typicity that reminds us of some classic german/austrian rieslings: lean and supple, with mouth-watering acidity and a very aromatic nose, with a fruity-citrusy foreground, supported by a herbaceous-earthy background and a classic, petroleum layer in between. It tastes zesty and slightly green, with well integrated alcohol and some subtle hints of mineral, terroir-driven flavours. All in all, this is one of the best riesling wines that we’ve tasted lately: typic on the nose, classic on the palate – exactly what you’d expect from a true RR. 

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