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Today we are going to review a single-varietal merlot wine from Banu Maracine in the Dealurile Olteniei region situated in the south of Romania – Merlot 2016 by 7ARTS Winery. Merlot is usually regarded as the underdog to the highly priced cabernet sauvignon or cabernet franc varieties, but make no mistake, merlot wine is first class as it is more versatile and ripens earlier than both cabernet grapes, responds well to oak ageing and can be grown in both, cool climate and warm climate with the same success. The winery’s first wine was released on the market in the 7th year after the whole vineyard’s surface was replanted in 2009, hence it’s name – 7ARTS. At 7ARTS all the red wines are aged exclusively in romanian oak. This particular wine is made out of late harvested merlot grapes and has been aged for 9 months in new oak barriques. 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: powerful & spicy
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | red plum
__black fruits: black plum | black cherry | bramble | blackberry | dried black plum | dried black cherry
fruit character: overripe & dried
//Flavor
non fruit: spice & oak
__spice: red pepper | black pepper | cloves | nutmeg
__oak: roasted oakwood | cherry tree wood | sweet tobacco | cherry tree sap
primary layer: fruit & oak
//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: medium+
alcohol: high
tannin: medium+
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol
body: supple & ripe | medium+
//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: overripe & dried
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: medium
aftertaste: hot & seedy
//Scoring
7ARTS | Merlot | 2016
variety: merlot
country: Romania | Oltenia
region: Dealurile Olteniei | Banu Maracine
rating: 92.8
//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for 2 or 3 more years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Romania and, with a total of 92.8 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 ripe and firm merlot wine, with a nuanced, spicy-oaky profile. The wine is still developing, therefore we would recommend to give it another 2 or 3 years of bottle ageing, in order to allow it to develop further complexity and roundness. On the nose the wine feels extracted and expressive, with a mixture of overripe and dried black fruits in the foreground, followed by a very insistent, spicy-oaky background. On the palate the wine delivers well integrated acidity, ripe tannins and an overwhelming alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel. All of which leads to a quite persistent aftertaste, with a seedy-hot finale and a slightly drying finish. Overall this is an expressive and oaky merlot wine that maybe lacks just a bit of finesse and harmony on the palate. Our recommendation is to pair this wine with any spicy or barbequed meats, like for example a grilled T-bone steak or a peppercorn-crusted filet mignon steak, as the wine has all the prerequisites to handle a bit of smokiness. Cheers!
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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.
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WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a one-time donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a monthly donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a yearly donation so that we can review even more wines.
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