CATLEYA | Perfect Simplu | Feteasca Neagra | 2018
feteasca neagra

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Today we are going to review a single varietal feteasca neagra wine from Mehedinti-Corcova vineyards in the Dealurile Olteniei wine region – Perfect Simplu Feteasca Neagra 2018 by Catleya. 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. Located in Corcova, Catleya estate was founded in 2007 by three french wine enthusiasts, who chose the Catleya orchid from Marcel Proust’s renowned novel “In Search of Lost Time Volume“, as the symbol of their new adventure. This particular wine is made out of feteasca neagra grapes, planted on calcium-rich, brown soil and fermented only with wild yeasts, in order to preserve the typicality of the grape variety. The wine is then aged for 10 months in stainless tanks (85%) and in new, medium roasted, romanian oak barrels (15%) and is produced in a limited edition of only 4592 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: medium ruby color
clarity: hazy garnet shades

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & savory
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits
__red fruits: cranberry | red currant | red plum
__black fruits:  blackberry | bramble | black cherry | black plum
fruit character: overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | savory | earthy
__spice: peppercorn | cloves | anise
__oak: roasted oakwood | sweet tobacco
__savory: iron | veal | leather | capocollo | brown olive
__earthy: brown soil | clay | marl | loam
primary layer: savory

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: medium(+)
__grip: coarse
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
body: supple | medium

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

//Scoring
CATLEYA | Perfect Simplu | Feteasca Neagra | 2018
variety: feteasca neagra
country: Romania | Oltenia
region: Dealurile Olteniei | Mehedinti-Corcova
rating: 92.0

//Conclusion
maturity: youthful | 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 92.0 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 youthful and crisp feteasca neagra wine, with a slightly tart palate and a nuanced fruity-savory nose. It feels supple and plump, with an expressive gamey profile. The wine is not quite there yet, as it needs more time to develop, therefore we would recommend to give it another 2 to 3 more years of bottle ageing, in order to allow it to reach its full potential. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of savory notes with overripe black and red fruits in the foreground, followed by a nuanced, meaty-earthy background and a spicy layer in between. On the palate the wine delivers overwhelming acidity, coarse tannins and quite a touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a seedy-crisp finale. All in all, this is a nicely structured feteasca neagra wine that lacks harmony and finesse on the palate. Our recommendation is to pair it with delicate, fat-rich meats like for example Tournedos Rossini or peppercorn fillet mignon. Cheers!

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