TARABOSTE | Tribut | Cabernet Sauvignon | 2016
cabernet sauvignon

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Today we are going to perform another trip into the past and re-evaluate a wine that is rightly considered to be one of the best red wines of Moldova – Taraboste Tribut Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 by Château Vartely. Cabernet Sauvignon is grown all over the world in a wide range of climates and regions and it can produce wines that are very high in tannins and acidity, that can mature and develop for many years in the bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon is also a late ripening grape variety, which means that it is best suited for warm climates, where it is capable to produce wines that can reach into realms of perfection, where they are rarely followed. This particular wine has been aged in hungarian oak barrels for 30 months, with another 12 months in the bottle before it was released on the market in a limited edition of only 7156 bottles. But enough with all that theory – without further ado, let’s move on to the wine tasting.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

(rev.2021)

(rev.2022)

//Visual
colour: deep ruby color
clarity: hazy garnet shades

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & oaky
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | cranberry | dried sour cherry | dried cranberry | pomegranate skin
__black fruits: aronia berry | bramble | blackberry | black cherry | black plum | blackcurrant
fruit character: overripe & dried

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earth
__spice: cloves | nutmeg | peppercorn | anise | red pepper
__oak: roasted oakwood | sweet tobacco | hints of vanilla
__earth: granite | gravel | hints of quartz
primary layer: fruit & oak

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: fine
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
body: voluptuous | full body

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits & black fruits
fruit character: overripe
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: medium+
aftertaste: velvety

//Scoring
TARABOSTE | Tribut | Cabernet Sauvignon | 2016
variety: cabernet sauvignon
country: Moldova
region: Valul lui Traian
rating: 93.3

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | can age for up to 5 more years
verdict: great | a must try wine
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This is definitely a great wine of Moldova and, with a total of 93.3 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 round, supple and voluptuous cabernet sauvignon wine, with a grippy palate and a noble-oaky accent on the nose. The wine is still on the developing slope, therefore we would recommend to give it 3 to 5 more years of bottle ageing, in order to allow it to reach its full potential, but don’t overdo it as it is always better to drink a wine a year too soon than a day too late. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of overripe red & black fruits in the foreground, followed by a noble, spicy-oaky background and a subtle earthy layer in between the two. On the palate the wine delivers exuberant acidity, ripe and grippy tannins and a touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a velvety-seedy aftertaste. All in all, this is one of the best cabernet sauvignon wine that we have tasted so far and definitely the best from Moldova – a wine that is mixing power with finesse in a very elegant way. Our recommendation is to pair it with delicate, fat-rich meats, like for example Tournedos Rossini or peppercorn-crusted fillet mignon. Enjoy!

(rev.2021)
(rev.2022)

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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.