ANIMA | Grand Reserve | 2016
feteasca neagra | cabernet sauvignon | syrah | merlot

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Today we are going to review a legendary wine blend from the famous Dealu Mare region in Muntenia – Anima Grand Reserve 2016 by Domeniile Sahateni. This wine is a blend of all four major grape varieties from Dealu Mare: feteasca neagra (39%), cabernet sauvignon (25%), syrah (18%) and merlot (18%), where cabernet sauvignon forms the wine’s main body and structure, syrah adds more tannins and color extract, merlot rounds up and smoothens the final blend, while feteasca neagra brings slightly more black fruits and delivers a more refined mid-palate. The four grape varieties have been harvested late and vinified separately, where the free run juice and the press juice went through the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation separately. The four varieties have been then aged separately for 12 to 18 months in new or used (second-fill) romanian and french oak barriques. Only then, after selecting the best barriques, the wine is blended and bottled under the supervision of Aurelia Visinescu – the oenologist of Domeniile Sahateni. 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 garnet color
clarity: hazy garnet shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & oaky
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: black cherry | black plum | blackberry | blackcurrant | dried black cherry | dried black plum
fruit character: overripe & dried

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earth
__spice: black pepper | thyme
__oak: roasted oakwood | vanilla | cloves | tobacco | black tea | dark chocolate
__earthy: gravel | granite | black soil
primary layer: fruit & oak

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

//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: overripe & dried
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: long
aftertaste: seedy-crisp

//Scoring
ANIMA | Grand Reserve | 2016
variety: feteasca neagra | cabernet sauvignon | syrah | merlot
country: Romania
region: Muntenia | Dealu Mare
rating: 94.0

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink now or age for another 3-4 years
verdict: great | a must try wine

//Prediction
RP rating: 90

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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 quite firm, bold and powerful wine blend that fells muscular and grippy. The wine is right there, at the peak of its form, therefore we would recommend to drink it now or in the next 3 to 4 years, in order to enjoy it at its finest. The nose is extracted and expressive, with a mixture of overripe and dried black fruits and some very nuanced oaky notes in the foreground, followed by a very noble, spicy-earthy background. On the palate the wine is delivers ripe and grippy tannins, quite elevated acidity and an overwhelming touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel. The aftertaste is long and persistent, with a nuanced fruity-oaky profile and a slightly drying finish. All in all, this is a new-world styled blend with a very expressive nose and an extracted palate – a wine that will pair amazingly well with any BBQ or grilled meats, as it definitely can handle quite a bit of spiciness. Great wine indeed. Enjoy!

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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.