TARABOSTE | Pur Aristocratic | Cabernet Sauvignon | 2014
cabernet sauvignon

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Today we are going to perform a trip into the past and re-evaluate a wine that is rightly considered to be one of the best red wines ever produced in Moldova – Taraboste Pur Aristocratic Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 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, wines 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 new oak barrels for 18 months, followed by a long term bottle ageing that took 5 years before it was re-released on the market this fall. 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 garnet color
clarity: hazy copper shades

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & mature
fruit profile: dried fruits | red fruits
__dried fruits: dried sour cherry | dried cranberry | dried red plum
__red fruits: red currant | cranberry | goji berry
fruit character: overripe & dried

//Flavor
non fruit: herbal | spice | oak | other
__herbal: basil | dried tomato | dried herbs
__spice: cloves | anise | red pepper
__oak: sun-dried oak | cherry tree wood | rooibos tea | vanilla | sweet tobacco
__other: new leather | cigar box | cherry tree sap | dried pomegranate skin
primary layer: tertiary | fruit & oak

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
body: firm & round | full body

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits & dried fruits
fruit character: overripe & dried
non fruit: spice & oak & herbs
finish: medium+
aftertaste: crisp & grippy

//Scoring
TARABOSTE | Pur Aristocratic | Cabernet Sauvignon | 2014
variety: cabernet sauvignon
country: Moldova
region: Valul lui Traian
rating: 93.5

//Conclusion
maturity: fully developed | past its prime | drinknow
verdict: great | a legendary wine
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This is definitely a great wine of Moldova and, with a total of 93.5 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 firm, round and quite seedy cabernet sauvignon wine, with a grippy palate and some very nuanced tertiary notes on the nose. The wine is fully developed, as it has already passed by the prime of its form, therefore we would recommend to enjoy it today rather than tomorrow. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of overripe & dried red fruits in the foreground, followed by a very noble, spicy-oaky background and a delicate layer with dried herbs in between the two. On the palate the wine delivers exuberant acidity, ripe and grippy tannins and just a touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a crisp and seedy aftertaste. All in all, this is one of the best cabernet sauvignon wines that were ever produced in Moldova – a well structured and vibrant wine with an amazing balance between primary, secondary and tertiary aromas. We would recommend to get one as long as it is still available and pair it with delicate meats, like for example Tournedos Rossini. Enjoy!

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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.