TE WĀ WINES | Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot & Saperavi | 2018
cabernet sauvignon | merlot | saperavi

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Today we are going to review a remarkable wine blend from the famous Stefan-Voda region in the south of Moldova – Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot & Saperavi 2018 by Te Wā Wines. This wine is a blend of three grape varieties from Purcari wine growing area: cabernet sauvignon (50%), merlot (30%) and saperavi (20%), where cabernet sauvignon forms the wine’s main body and structure, merlot rounds up and smoothens the final blend, while saperavi is responsible for color depth and brings more black fruits notes to the foreground. This particular wine has been aged for 24 months in french (75%) and romanian (25%) oak barriques and has been produced in a limited edition of only 2600 bottles, while Te Wā (which means ‘time will tell‘ in Maori) is a wine project initiated by two enthusiasts, whose aim is to create wines that are capable to deliver the very best of Moldova’s southern terroirs. But enough theory, 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 & opaque ruby color
clarity: hazy ruby  shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & expressive
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: black cherry | black plum | blackcurrant | blackberry | brumble | aronia berry
fruit character: overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | sweet | earthy
__spice: black pepper | cloves | nutmeg | anise | tonka seeds
__oak: roasted oakwood | sun-dried oak | liquorice | tobacco | charred wood
__sweet: black cherry jam | black plum jam | blackcurrant jam | blackberry jam
__earthy: granite & quartz
primary layer: fruit & oak

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

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

//Scoring
TE WĀ WINES | Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot & Saperavi | 2018
variety: cabernet sauvignon | merlot | saperavi
country: Moldova
region: Stefan Voda
rating: 93.5

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for 3 to 4 more years
verdict: great | a must try wine
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This is definitely a great wine of Moldova 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 a quite firm, plump and fruity-expressive wine blend with a very extracted and rich palate. The wine is still developing, therefore we would recommend to give it another 3 to 4 years of bottle ageing, yet, in order to enjoy it at its finest, we would suggest to taste it sooner rather than later, as we firmly believe that it is always better to drink a wine a year too soon than a day too late. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of overripe and jammy black fruits in the foreground, supported by a spicy and oaky background and a subtle, earthy layer in between. On the palate the wine delivers exuberant acidity, a ripe tannic grip and a touch of alcoholic warmth showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a very appealing, seedy-crisp aftertaste. All in all, this is a quite flamboyant, complex and well structured wine blend – a wine that lacks just a bit of harmony and finesse on the palate. In order to highlight the spiciness in the wine, simply pair it with any smoky or barbequed meats, like for example a grilled Tomahawk steak or a pepper-crusted filet mignon and 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.