CHÂTEAU VARTELY | Cameo | Late Harvest | 2021
sauvignon blanc

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Today we are going to review a single-varietal sauvignon blanc wine from the relatively cool Codru region of Moldova – Cameo Late Harvest 2021 by Château Vartely. Late harvest wines are made from grapes that are left on the vine even after they’ve reached their full phenolic ripeness, thus they become sweeter due to dehydration and as a result, sugar content increases and the juice becomes more concentrated. Technically, any grape variety can be used for the production of late harvest wines, yet there are some varieties that excel more than the others for this wine style and sauvignon blanc is one of them. Sauvignon Blanc is a very old grape variety that makes crisp, dry, aromatic and herbaceous wines that are popular all over the world and its name translates from french as ‘wild white‘, which is in fact the essence of this variety – the wilderness. What makes it different from its peers are those unique herbaceous flavors, reminiscent of green bell pepper, currant leaf, gooseberry and fresh cut grass – all these flavors come from aromatic compounds called pyrazines. 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: clear straw-white hues

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & herbaceous
fruit profile: green fruits | citrus fruits
__green fruits: gooseberry | green pear | green melon | green apple
__citrus fruits: lemon | kiwi | lime | green grapefruit
fruit character: overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: herbaceous
__herbaceous: currant leaf | lemongrass | hay | meadow | peppermint
primary layer: herbaceous

//Palate
sweetness: off dry
acidity: high
alcohol: medium+
tannin: none
__grip: smooth
balance: fair
__dominant: sugar
body: lean | medium-

//Taste
fruit profile: green fruits & citrus
fruit character: ripe & overripe
non fruit: herbaceous & sweet
finish: medium
aftertaste: crisp & sweet

//Scoring
CHÂTEAU VARTELY | Cameo | Late Harvest | 2021
variety: sauvignon blanc
country: Moldova
region: Codru
rating: 91.5

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink now
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and with a total of 91.5 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 very lean and supple, late harvest wine that feels smooth and sweet on the mouthfeel, with a nuanced citrusy-herbaceous profile on the nose. The wine is right there, at the peak of its form, therefore we would recommend to drink it today rather than tomorrow, while it is still young and refreshing. On the nose the wine brings overripe green fruits and citrusy notes to the foreground, followed by a very nuanced, herbaceous background. On the palate the wine delivers crisp and refreshing acidity and a well integrated alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel. All in all this is a very appealing summer wine with a crispy-sweet aftertaste that will leave no prisoners – a real crowd-pleaser. We would suggest to pair this wine with some light dessert dishes, like for example lemon fluff, strawberry-peach panna cotta or a tropical fruit salad. Cheers!

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