1000 DE CHIPURI | Merlot | 2018
merlot

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Today we are going to review a single varietal merlot wine from the famous Dealu Mare region, which is Romania‘s most famous wine region for red wines – Merlot 2018 Fintesti by 1000 de Chipuri. Merlot is second-most planted grape variety in the world after cabernet sauvignon and is usually regarded as the underdog to the highly priced cabernet sauvignon or cabernet franc varieties, but make no mistake, merlot wine is first class as it is more versatile and ripens earlier than both cabernet grapes, responds well to oak ageing and can be grown in both, cool climate and warm climate with the same success. With vibrant and rich, upfront fruit flavors, moderate tannin and balanced acidity, merlot is an ideal food pairing wine and a safe bet for any occasion. Merlot grape (its name translates into english as ‘the little blackbird‘) is the progeny of cabernet franc and magdeleine noire des charentes – an old, esoteric french variety discovered through DNA testing. In order to gain more body structure, complexity and authenticity, this wine has been aged only in romanian oak barrels. 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: medium-deep ruby color
clarity: hazy ruby shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: pronounced & expressive
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | wild cherry
__black fruits: black plum | black cherry
fruit character: overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: herbs | spice | oak | earth | other
__herbal: mint | eucalyptus
__spice: cloves | anise | peppercorn
__oak: toasted oakwood | tobacco
__earth: charcoal | pencil lead | black soil
__other: cherry seeds | wood polish
primary layer: fruity-oaky

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

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

//Scoring
1000 DE CHIPURI | Merlot | 2018
variety: merlot
country: Romania
region: Dealu Mare | Fintesti
rating: 93.6

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for 3 or 4 more years
verdict: great | a must try wine
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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 ripe, rich and flamboyant merlot wine, with an extracted nose and a quite grippy mouthfeel. The wine is still developing, therefore we would recommend to age it for another 3 or 4 years, in order to allow it to develop further complexity, as the potential is clearly there. On the nose it brings overripe black fruits mixed with some nuanced oaky notes in the foreground, followed by an expressive, spicy background and a subtle earthy layer in between. On the palate the wine delivers exuberant acidity, ripe and seedy tannins and an quite a touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a bitter-crisp aftertaste. All in all, this is an firm, astringent and slightly angular merlot wine, that in its current state lacks some elegance and finesse on the palate. Nevertheless, it is still a very enjoyable wine that will pair nicely with spicy meats, like for example a grilled T-bone steak or a barbequed rib-eye steak. Just get one and 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.