BALLA GÉZA | Stonewine | Cabernet Franc | 2017
cabernet franc

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The last wine we are are going to review today is one that we hold dear to our hearts – a single-varietal cabernet franc wine from the relatively unknown Minis region in western Romania – Stonewine Cabernet Franc 2017 by ‘Wine Princess’ Balla Géza. Infamously known as the ‘other cabernet’ grape, cabernet franc is the parent grape for the two famous international varieties: cabernet sauvignon and merlot. It is less intense and softer than cabernet sauvignon and it ripens much earlier, while it is also much more resistant to winter cold and frost than merlot. One thing that makes cabernet franc unique is that it can’t hide its nature – it has always been a bit more peppery, more savory and leaner than its pedigree children, due to the higher levels of pyrazines (which is an aromatic organic compound). This particular wine is made from late harvested grapes that were sourced from the Kovászi vineyard in the Minis region, grown on very old rocky, granite soils (hence the name ‘Stonewine‘). The wine has been aged for 24 months in hungarian oak barriques and another 24 months in the bottle before being released on the market (which is quite telling quality-wise). 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: deep & noble ruby color
clarity: hazy garnet shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & earthy
fruit profile: black fruits 
__black fruits: black plum | blackberry | aronia berry | black cherry | blackcurrant
fruit character: overripe & dried

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | sweet | savory | earthy
__spice: black pepper | cloves | anise
__oak: roasted oakwood | oaktree bark | black tea | hints of tobacco
__sweet: dried black plum | dried black cherry
__savory: leather | subtle hints of game & venison
__earthy: farmyard | black soil dust | turf | compost | dried leaves
primary layer: fruit

//Palate
sweetness: bone dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: medium+
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol & acidity
body: round & firm | full body

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

//Scoring
BALLA GÉZA | Stonewine | Cabernet Franc | 2017
variety: cabernet franc
country: Romania
region: Minis
rating: 94.0

//Conclusion
maturity: close to its prime | can age for up to 4 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 a really fantastic cabernet franc wine: fruity-earthy, firm and grippy – a wine that is very close to its apogée, thus one that can mature for another 3 or 4 years in the bottle. It feels bold, extracted and extremely appealing, with overwhelming acidity, ripe tannins and a touch of alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel, which leads to a pleasant, seedy-crisp finale. On the nose, the wine delivers overripe and dried black fruits in the foreground, supported by a pronounced earthy-savory background and a spicy-oaky layer in between the two. All in all this is a very well structured, rich and complex wine, with a full body and a mesmerizing tannic grip on the palate – one that is mixing power with finesse. This is definitely one of the best, if not the best, cabernet franc wines that we have tasted so far – a wine that has its own distinctive personality and the footprint of the Minis terroir. This is, no doubts, a must try wine!

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