7ARTS | Feteasca Neagra | 2018
feteasca neagra

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Today we are going to review a single varietal feteasca neagra wine from Banu Maracine vineyards situated in the Dealurile Olteniei region – Feteasca Neagra 2018 by 7ARTS Winery. 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. 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 has been made out of late harvested feteasca neagra grapes, aged for 15 months in new, romanian oak barriques and produced in a limited edition of only 1900 bottles. 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 er shades on the rim

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

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earthy
__spice: black pepper | cloves | peppercorn | sweet spice | allspice
__oak: roasted oakwood | chocolate | mocha | roasted coffee beans  | sweet tobacco
__earthy: granite | quartz | black soil dust
primary layer: fruit & oak

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

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

//Scoring
7ARTS | Feteasca Neagra | 2018
variety: feteasca neagra
country: Romania | Oltenia
region: Dealurile Olteniei | Banu Maracine
rating: 92.5

//Conclusion
maturity: youthful | age for 3 to 5 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Romania and, with a total of 92.5 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 rich, crisp and plump feteasca neagra wine, with a very nuanced and voluptuous palate. It is still youthful, as i definitely needs more time to develop, hence we would recommend to give it another 3 to 5 more years of bottle ageing, in order to allow it to get closer to its potential. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of overripe and dried black fruits in the foreground, followed by a very expressive, spicy-oaky background. On the palate the wine delivers exuberant acidity, ripe tannins and quite a touch of alcoholic warmth showing through on the mouthfeel, which nicely evolves into a seedy-tart finale. All in all, this is a quite extracted and flamboyant feteasca neagra wine, with a clear-cut, new world style – a wine that lacks some harmony and finesse on the palate. Our recommendation is to pair it with any barbequed or grilled meats, like for example tomahawk steak or a spicy T-bone 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.