AURELIA VISINESCU | Signature | Feteasca Neagra | 2016
feteasca neagra

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Today we are going to review an iconic, single varietal feteasca neagra wine the famous Dealu Mare region of Romania – Signature Feteasca Neagra 2016 by Aurelia Visinescu (Domeniile Sahateni). 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. This particular wine has been aged in small, 225-liters, french oak barrels for 19 months and produced in a limited edition of only 4003 bottles. The oakwood was sourced only from the Allier forest and in order to preserve the varietal typicity of feteasca neagra grapes, a combination of new (70%) and old (30%) oak barrels were used. Before being released on the market, the wine has been aged in the bottle for another 3 years. But enough with all that theory, 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 & noble garnet color
clarity: hazy garnet shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: pronounced & mature
fruit profile: black fruits | dried fruits
__black fruits: black cherry | black plum | bramble | blackberry | aronia berry 
__dried fruits: dried black cherry | dried black plum
fruit character: overripe & dried

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | other
__spice: peppercorn | cloves | anise | allspice | nutmeg
__oak: roasted oakwood | black tea | tobacco | oaktree bark
__other: granite | aronia jam
primary layer: fruit & oak

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

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

//Scoring
AURELIA VISINESCU | Signature | Feteasca Neagra | 2016
variety: feteasca neagra
country: Romania | Muntenia
region: Dealu Mare
rating: 94.1

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | drink now or age for 4-5 more years
verdict: great | a legendary wine

//Prediction
predicted RP rating: 91

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This is definitely a great wine of Romania and, with a total of 94.1 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 bold, firm and muscular feteasca neagra wine that fells complex and tannic. It is still in the development phase, therefore we would recommend to give it 4 to 5 more years of bottle ageing, in order to allow it to reach its full potential, but please 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 and dried black fruits in the foreground, followed by a very nuanced, spicy-oaky background and some very subtle earthy hints in between. On the palate the wine delivers exuberant acidity, firm and grippy tannins and an overwhelming touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a bitter-seedy aftertaste. All in all, this is one of the best feteasca neagra wine that we have tasted so far: seedy, grippy and crisp, yet a wine that in its current state lacks some harmony and finesse on the palate. We would recommend to pair this wine with spicy or barbequed meats, like for example a peppercorn fillet mignon or a beef tenderloin. Enjoy!

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