NOVAK | 4 Soiuri | Brut Alb | #
pinot gris | pinot noir | chardonnay | rkatsiteli

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Today we are going to review a sparkling wine that has been released relatively recently on the local market –  4 Soiuri Brut Alb by Novak Winery. This wine is a blend of 4 grape varieties (hence the name – ‘4 Soiuri‘, which translates from romanian as ‘4 Varieties‘): 55% pinot gris, 15% pinot noir, 15% chardonnay and 15% rkatsiteli, where chardonnay forms the main body and structure, pinot noir adds more character and complexity, pinot gris enhances the wine’s aromatic profile and deliver some smoothness on the palate, while rkatsiteli improves the wine’s backbone, delivering a more expressive aromatic profile, as well as more firmness on the mouthfeel (rkatsiteli is the white grape that in Georgia is co-fermented with grape skins and seeds, and can make whines that are able to mature for a decade). The wine is also produced in a quite limited edition of only 2500 bottles. That said, without further ado, let’s move on straight to the 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 silver hues

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & expressive
fruit profile: sweet fruits | citrus fruits | tropical fruits
__sweet fruits: pear | quince | white apple | asian pear | white apricot
__citrus fruits: lemon | white pomelo
__tropical fruits: pineapple | passion fruit
fruit character: ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: herbal | sweet
__herbal: green grass | meadow | currant leaf
__sweet: pear candy | lemon candy
primary layer: fruit

//Palate
sweetness: off dry
acidity: med(+)
alcohol: med(+)
tannin: low
__grip: green
balance: fair
__dominant: seediness
body: round & lean | medium-

//Taste
fruit profile: green fruits | citrus fruits
fruit character: underripe
non fruit: sweet
finish: medium-
aftertaste: seedy-green

//Scoring
NOVAK | 4 Soiuri | Brut Alb | #
variety: pinot gris | pinot noir | chardonnay | rkatsiteli 
country: Moldova
region: Valul lui Traian
rating: 90.4

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink now – do not age
verdict: nice | quite a good wine
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This is definitely a nice wine of Moldova and with a total of 90.4 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 very nice sparkling wine that is right there, at the peak of its form – round, supple and lean, with a nuanced, fruity-citrusy profile on the nose and a seedy accent on the palate. It may lack some structure and firmness, still the wine feels well balanced and extremely appealing – a real crowd-pleaser. We would recommend to drink it today rather than tomorrow, as this wine is not meant for long term bottle ageing. All in all, this is a light, fresh and easy to drink wine, with crisp acidity, well integrated alcohol level and just a hint of bitterness, which leads to a slightly green finale – nice, fair and enjoyable.

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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.