SERVE | Cuvée Alexandru | 2017
cabernet sauvignon

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Today we are also going to review a single-varietal cabernet sauvignon wine from the Dealu Mare region in Muntenia – Cuvée Alexandru 2017 by SERVE. Cabernet Sauvignon is grown all over the world in a wide range of climates and regions and it can produce wines that are very high in tannins and acidity, wines that can mature and develop for many years in the bottle. Also, because cabernet sauvignon is a late ripening grape variety, it is best suited for warmer climates, where it is capable to produce wines that can reach into realms of perfection. In Romania, the cabernet sauvignon variety was introduced at the start of 20th century, after the phylloxera disaster and since it has excelled as a variety that suits amazingly well the southern terroirs. This particular wine is the 10th anniversary edition of the already legendary Cuvée Alexandru 2010 vintage and is vinified in a pure old-world, Bordeaux style with very subtle use of french oak wood, with the emphasis on varietal characteristics of the cabernet sauvignon grapes and the delicacy of the Dealu Mare terroir. 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: med-deep ruby color
clarity: hazy garnet shades

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & savory
fruit profile: red fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | red plum | cranberry | redcurrant
fruit character: underripe & ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | savory | earthy | other
__spice: red pepper
__oak: sun-dried oakwood | cherry tree wood
__savory: iron | veal | leather | barnyard
__earthy: clay | loam | brown soil | compost | turf & hints of truffles
__other: sweet potato | red bell pepper
primary layer: savory & earthy

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: medium+
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: acidity & alcohol
body: voluptuous | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: underripe
non fruit: savory-earthy
finish: medium+
aftertaste: bitter-tart

//Scoring
SERVE | Cuvée Alexandru | 2017
variety: cabernet sauvignon
country: Romania | Muntenia
region: Dealu Mare
rating: 92.7

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for 4 or 5 more years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Romania and, with a total of 92.7 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 savory and delicate cabernet sauvignon wine: round and voluptuous, with a pronounced old-world accent, the wine feels fruity-savory, noble and rustic – a wine that is still developing into the bottle, thus one that requires another 4 or 5 years of bottle ageing. This is a quite earthy & plump wine, as it feels complex and well structured, with overwhelming alcohol and acidity on the palate and a ripe tannic grip on the mouthfeel. The wine delivers a mesmerizing balance between the primary ripe red fruits in the foreground and those tertiary, earthy-leathery notes in the background, with a plethora of noble savoriness in between, making it a perfect pairing partner for any naturally scented meats, like for example black angus or game. This is a classic (as far as classic goes), old-world cabernet sauvignon wine, with plenty of terroir-driven earthy hints (mostly clay and loam) and a seedy-crisp finale – a wine that is mixing power with finesse. In fact, this wine is a fine example of how a terrior-driven cabernet sauvignon wine can be crafted using tradition, technology and what the nature has to offer.

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