1000 DE CHIPURI | Distinctis | Valea Orbilor | 2017
merlot | cabernet franc
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Today we are going to review a very intriguing and in a way even unique wine that is considered to be among the best red wines of Romania – Distinctis Valea Orbilor 2017 by 1000 de Chipuri. This is the winemaker’s flagship wine, a blend of merlot and cabernet franc, sourced from the Valea Orbilor vineyard, situated near Fintesti in Dealu Mare (which is Romania’s most famous DOC region), where merlot forms the wine’s main body and flavour profile, whereas cabernet franc adds structure and rounds up the final blend, delivering some much desired smoothness on the finish. Distinctis is a classic example of modern microvinification – vinified in an expressive, new-world style, with 24 months of oak ageing and another 12 months of bottle ageing, this wine is produced in a limited edition of only 2780 bottles. But enough theory, yhat 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 plum | black cherry | blackberry | bramble | prune | dried black plum | dried black cherry
fruit character: overripe & dried
//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earthy
__spice: black pepper | cloves | nutmeg | tonka seeds
__oak: roasted oakwood | black tea | tobacco | mocha | chocolate | hints of charred wood
__earthy: black soil dust | granite | graphite | pencil lead | charcoal
primary layer: fruit & oak
//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: medium+
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: firm
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol
body: firm & angular
//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: overripe & dried
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: long
aftertaste: seedy
//Scoring
1000 DE CHIPURI | Distinctis | Valea Orbilor | 2017
variety: merlot | cabernet franc
country: Romania
region: Dealu Mare
rating: 93.8
//Conclusion
maturity: developing | can age for 3 to 5 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 93.8 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 firm, muscular and very potent wine, with a quite grippy and structured mouthfeel. The wine is still developing, therefore we would recommend to give it more time, in order to allow it to develop further complexity, as the potential is clearly there – the wine could easily resist 3 to 5 more years of bottle ageing. On the nose it brings overripe and dried black fruits mixed with some very nuanced oaky notes in the foreground, followed by an expressive, spicy-earthy background. On the palate the wine delivers crisp acidity, seedy tannins and an overwhelming touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a bitter-seedy aftertaste. All in all, this is an extracted, ripe yet slightly unpolished wine, that lacks some elegance and finesse on the palate. Nevertheless, it is still a very enjoyable wine that will pair nicely with a grilled T-bone steak or a barbequed rib-eye steak. 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.
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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 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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