DAGON ESTATE | Sandridge | Feteasca Neagra Reserve | 2018
feteasca neagra

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Today we are going to review an iconic, single varietal feteasca neagra wine from Dealu Mare – Sandridge Feteasca Neagra Reserve 2018 by Dagon Estate. 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 is made of feteasca neagra grapes harvested from old vines planted on sandy-rich soils on the hillsides of Valea Nucetului in Dealu Mare region. In order to preserve the varietal typicity of feteasca neagra grapes, this wine was fermented only with wild yeasts and aged in different types of barrels: 12 months in new, romanian oak barrels and another 12 months in used, neutral oak barrels. Needless to mention that it has been produced in a very limited edition of only 901 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: deep ruby color
clarity: hazy garnet shades

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & extracted
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: black cherry | blackberry | black plum | bramble | aronia berry
__jammy fruits: black cherry jam | blackberry jam
fruit character: overripe & jammy

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earth
__spice: peppercorn | cloves | anise | sweet spice
__oak: roasted oakwood | sweet tobacco | black tea | sun-dried oak
__earth: graphite | black soil
primary layer: fruit & oak

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: medium+
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: seedy
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol & seediness
body: firm | medium+ body

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

//Scoring
DAGON ESTATE | Sandridge | Feteasca Neagra Reserve | 2018
variety: feteasca neagra
country: Romania | Muntenia
region: Dealu Mare | Fintesti
rating: 93.6

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for 3 to 5 more years
verdict: great | a must try wine

//Prediction
predicted RP rating: 90

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This is definitely a great wine of Romania and, with a total of 93.6 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 very expressive, ripe and extracted feteasca neagra wine, with a very complex and well structured mouthfeel. The wine is still developing, therefore we would recommend to give it 3 to 5 more years of bottle ageing, in order to allow the wine to develop further complexity and round up some of its sharp edges. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of overripe and jammy black fruits in the foreground, followed by a very nuanced, spicy-oaky background and a subtle earthy layer in between. On the palate the wine delivers slightly underwhelming acidity, seedy tannins and an overwhelming touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a pleasantly seedy aftertaste. All in all, this is one of the best feteasca neagra wine that we have tasted so far: fruit-forward, rich and slightly angular due to its youthfulness, a wine that in its current state is lacking some harmony and finesse on the palate. Taking into the account the wine’s aromatic profile and structure, we would recommend to pair it with spicy or grilled meats, like for example a grilled T-bone steak or a barbequed rib-eye steak. Enjoy!

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