CRAMA GIRBOIU | Bacanta | Feteasca Neagra | 2016
feteasca neagra

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Today we are going to review a single-varietal feteasca neagra wine from Cotesti vineyards in the Vrancea region of Romania – Bacanta Feteasca Neagra 2016 by Crama Gîrboiu. Feteasca Neagra is an indigenous romanian variety that has been grown for hundreds of years on substantial plantings in the south of Moldova and eastern Muntenia and today, this is the most famous red variety in Romania. Wines made from feteasca neagra grapes are usually fruit-forward, complex and structured, wines that quite often are compared to merlot and cabernet franc, mostly due to their body, fine tannins and elegant textures. There is a rising demand for feteasca neagra wines both, on the local market as well as on the international markets and many experts name this variety as the visit card of romanian wines. Crama Gîrboiu is a family winery that was founded in 2005 by Constantin Gîrboiu in the Costesti D.O.C. in Vrancea, right between Moldova and Muntenia, thus taking advantage of both bordering climates. This particular wine has been aged in french oak barriques, while the italian oenologist Giovanni Menotti consulted the whole process. 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: medium-deep garnet color
clarity: hazy garnet shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & noble
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: black plum | black cherry | blackcurrant | blackberry | brumble | dried black plum | dried black cherry
fruit character: ripe & overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earthy
__spice: black pepper | cloves
__oak: cherry tree wood | cherry tree bark | sun-dried oakwood | black tea
__earthy: black soil dust | sweet potato
primary layer: fruit & oak

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

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

//Scoring
CRAMA GIRBOIU | Bacanta | Feteasca Neagra | 2016
variety: feteasca neagra
country: Romania | Moldova
region: Vrancea | Cotesti
rating: 92.7

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | can age for another 2 or 3 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Romania and, with a total of 92.7 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 hot, ripe and crisp feteasca neagra wine, with a firm and rich mouthfeel. The wine is in its prime right now, therefore we would recommend to drink it today or in the next 2 to 3 years, in order to enjoy it at its finest. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of ripe and overripe black fruits in the foreground, followed by a spicy-earthy background and an oaky layer in between. On the palate the wine delivers elevated acidity, ripe tannins and an overwhelming touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a pleasantly seedy finale. All in all, this is a quite round, expressive and well structured feteasca neagra wine, with a very nice varietal typicity, yet the wine clearly lacks some elegance and finesse on the palate. Our recommendation is to pair it with spicy or extra-rare meats, like for example a tomahawk rib-eye steak or a peppercorn-crusted fillet mignon. Cheers!

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