CRAMA GIRBOIU | Bacanta | Sarba Barrique | 2020
sarba

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Today we are also going to review a single varietal sarba wine from eastern Romania, more precisely from the Cotesti vineyards in Vrancea – Bacanta Sarba Barrique 2020 by Crama Gîrboiu. Sarba a semi-aromatic, white grape variety that was created by SCDVV Odobesti in Vrancea County in 1972 by natural fecundation of italian riesling (welschriesling) and tamaioasa romaneasca. It usually makes dry and refreshing wines, with medium acidity and fine floral and herbal aromas of white roses, basil and linden flowers, with some subtle hints of honey. 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 for 6 months on fine lies (sur lie) in french oak barriques. That said and without further ado, let’s move on straight to our tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
color: straw yellow color
clarity: bright yellow hues

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & oaky
fruit profile: green fruits | citrus fruits | stone fruits | tropical fruits
__green fruits: apple | asian pear | quince
__citrus fruits: lemon
__stone fruits: peach | nectarine
__tropical fruits: pineapple
fruit character: ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: herbal | oak | lactic
__herbal: straw grass | hay | marguerite daisy | chamomile
__oak: sun-dried oakwood | vanilla
__lactic: ice cream | crème brûlée
primary layer: fruit & oak

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: medium+
alcohol: high
tannin: low
__grip: rough
balance: fair
__dominant: alcohol
body: crisp | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: green fruits & stone fruits
fruit character: underripe
non fruit: herbal & sweet
finish: medium
aftertaste: seedy-crisp

//Scoring
CRAMA GIRBOIU | Bacanta | Sarba Barrique | 2020
variety: sarba
country: Romania | Moldova
region: Vrancea | Cotesti
rating: 91.3

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink now
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Romania and with a total of 91.3 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 fine sarba wine that is right there, at the peak of its form: supple, voluptuous and quite firm. It feels slightly rough and a bit angular, with flat acidity and an overwhelming alcoholic bitterness showing through on the mouthfeel. The wine has a medium+ body and a oaky-herbal accent on the nose, where it delivers a mixture of ripe yellow fruits and oaky notes in the foreground, followed by a nuanced, citrusy-herbal background and a subtle layer of lactic notes in between the two. Overall this is a nicely structured and complex wine with a pronounced oaky accent and a bitter-crisp aftertaste – a wine that in its current state lacks some harmony and finesse on the palate. Cheers!

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