CARASTELEC | Vinca | Sophia | Cuvée Barrique | 2018
chardonnay

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Today we are going to review a very special wine, as this is a single-varietal chardonnay from the Crisana region in the north-western Romania – Vinca Sophia Cuvée Barrique 2018 by Carastelec Winery. Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular grape variety, regarded by many as ‘The Queen of Whites‘, prized for its ability to produce top-quality wines in a wide range of climates and terroirs. Stylistically, there are two main types of chardonnay: one one hand we have the classic, oak-aged style, creamy and rich, whereas on the other hand there’s the crisp, unoaked style. This particular wine is from the first category: a barrel aged chardonnay, which means that the wine went through the malolactic conversion – a process where the crisp, malic acid in the wine is converted into a more softer, lactic acid, thus the wine becomes less tart and more silky, gaining more structure and finesse. Afterwards the wine spent 8 months on fine lees (sur lie ageing) in those oak barrels. The wine itself is named in honour of Zsófia Báthory, the princess who donated land and vines to the Carastelec village in 1650 to support the rebuilt of the local church. 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: medium to deep yellow color
clarity: clear and pale yellow hues

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & noble
fruit profile: sweet fruits | citrus fruits | stone fruits
__sweet fruits: pear | asian pear | quince
__citrus fruits: lemon | pomelo
__stone fruits: apricot | pluot
fruit character: ripe & overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: floral | herbal | oak | sweet | lactic
__floral: honeysuckle | elderflower
__herbal: hay | lemongrass
__oak: vanilla
__sweet: hints of honey
__lactic: brioche | baguette | crème brûlée | bread crust
primary layer: lactic/yeasty

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: medium+
alcohol: medium+
tannin: low
__grip: fine
balance: good
__dominant: none
body: round & plush | medium

//Taste
fruit profile: sweet fruits & citrus fruits
fruit character: ripe & overripe
non fruit: yeasty & sweet
finish: long
aftertaste: velvety & smooth

//Scoring
CARASTELEC | Vinca | Sophia | Cuvée Barrique | 2018
variety: chardonnay
country: Romania | Transilvania
region: Crisana | Silvania
rating: 93.5

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | can age for 2 or 3 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 93.5 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 wine – one of the best chardonnay we’ve ever tasted, a wine that is at the peak of its prime form: voluptuous, plush and extremely appealing. This wine has the typicity that reminds us of some of the best Bourgogne Cru wines: lean and creamy, with mouth-watering acidity and well integrated alcohol level. On the nose the wine delivers some very nuanced lactic/leesy notes in the foreground, supported by a fruity-herbaceous background and a classic, vanilla-honey layer in between the two. On the palate it tastes round and smooth, with an amazing balance between all the elements, thus making it feel harmonious, structured and complex. All in all, this is one of the best chardonnays that we’ve tasted lately: typic on the nose and classic on the palate – exactly what you’d expect from a full-bodied and creamy chardonnay, that is made in a clear-cut Bourgogne style.

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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.