CHATEAU VALVIS | Cabernet Sauvignon | Private Reserve | 2016
cabernet sauvignon

We will be evaluating wines in no particular order on no particular schedule. Just stay tuned and you will never miss our reviews. If the wine is tasted more than once, the rating table will be updated so as to reflect all the new impressions and observations.

Today we are going to evaluate a single-varietal cabernet sauvignon wine from Samburesti vineyards, where cabernet sauvignon variety found it’s second home in Romania – Chateau Valvis Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve 2016 by Domeniile Samburesti. Cabernet Sauvignon is grown all over the world in a wide range of climates and regions and it usually has high tannins and high acidity, thus it can produce wines that can mature and develop for many years in the bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon is also a late ripening grape variety, which means that it is best suited to warm climates, yet when all the natural conditions are fitting, it can produce wines that can reach into realms of perfection where they are rarely followed. This particular wine has been aged in oak barrels for at least 24 months in order to add more complexity and, at the same time, the wine is capable to highlight the varietal characteristics of the cabernet sauvignon grape and underline the unique characteristics of the Samburesti terroir in the Dealurile Oltului wine region. That said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
_________________________________________________________________________
Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: deep ruby color
clarity: hazy garnet shades

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & clean
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: black plum | blackcurrant | black cherry | blackberry | aronia berry
fruit character: ripe & overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice & other
__spice: red pepper | black pepper | nutmeg | cloves | anise
__oak: tobacco | roasted oakwood | liquorice | dark chocolate | cocoa
__other: cherry tree bark | cherry tree sap | dried black plum | dried black cherry
primary layer: fruit

//Palate
sweetness: bone dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: firm
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
body: firm | full body

//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: ripe & overripe
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: medium+
aftertaste: crisp & seedy

//Scoring
CHATEAU VALVIS | Cabernet Sauvignon | Private Reserve | 2016
variety: cabernet sauvignon
country: Romania | Oltenia
region: Samburesti | Dealurile Oltului
rating: 93.4

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for another 3-4 years
verdict: great | a must try wine
_________________________________________________________________________
This is definitely a great wine of Romania and, with a total of 93.4 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 quite firm, muscular and bold cabernet sauvignon wine that has yet to reach the peak of its prime form, therefore it will definitely benefit from another 3 or 4 more years of bottle ageing. This is indeed a wine of great quality, one that delivers ripe & grippy tannins on the palate, overwhelming acidity and a touch of alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel. The wine has a rich and expressive character, with a full body and an extracted, fruit-forward profile. On the nose it delivers ripe & overripe black fruits in the foreground, supported by a pleasantly spicy background, with a slightly smoky layer in between the two. This is definitely a wine that is mixing power with flamboyance – one that is capable to deliver both, the expressiveness of the cabernet sauvignon grapes and the footprint of the Samburesti terroir. Cheers!

_________________________________________________________________________
© 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.