ATÚ WINERY | O Scrisoare Pierduta | 2019
codrinschii

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Today we are are going to review a single-varietal codrinschii wine from Moldova – O Scrisoare Pierduta 2019 by Atú Winery. Codrinschii grape variety was obtained in 1970, at the Institute of Wine and Vine of the Moldovan Soviet Republic, by crossing babeasca neagra (an indigenous grape variety of Moldova that grows both, west and east of the Prut river, known locally as rara neagra) with cabernet sauvignon (the most famous international grape variety). Today, Atú Winery is the first and at the moment the only producer that offers single varietal codrinschii wines on the market. The wine we are reviewing today has been aged for 12 months in 500-liters, romanian oak barrels and is dedicated to the famous poem written by Ion Luca Caragiale – O Scrisoare Pierdută, which tells the story of a compromising love letter, that goes astray and threatens to cause a huge scandal in a small provincial town of the late nineteenth century. 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 & opaque ruby color
clarity: hazy indigo shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & oaky
fruit profile: black fruits | blue fruits | fruits jam
__black fruits: black cherry | black plum | blackberry
__blue fruits: blueberry
__fruits jam: black cherry jam | black plum jam | blackberry jam | blueberry jam
fruit character: overripe & jammy

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | sweet | earth
__spice: peppercorn
__oak: charred wood | roasted oak | oaktree bark | black tea | coffee
__sweet: dried figs | dried dates
__earth: charcoal | graphite | dust
primary layer: fruity-oaky

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

//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: ripe & overripe
non fruit: oak & dust
finish: medium-
aftertaste: crisp & grippy

//Scoring
ATÚ WINERY | O Scrisoare Pierduta | 2019
variety: codrinschii
country: Moldova
region: Codru
rating: 92.4

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | drink now or within the next 2 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Moldova and, with a total of 92.4 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 crisp, grippy and firm codrinschii wine that tastes seedy, astringent and tannic – a wine with an expressive nose and a jammy palate. It is still in its development phase but very close to the prime of its form, therefore we would recommend to either drink it today or within the next 2 years, just make sure you 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 displays a mixture of overripe and jammy black fruits with some pronounced oaky notes in the foreground, supported by a slightly spicy background and a very subtle, earthy layer in between the two. On the palate the wine delivers crisp acidity, seedy and firm tannins and an overwhelming touch of alcoholic warmth, that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a crisp and grippy aftertaste. All in all this is a rich and flamboyant wine, with a nuanced, fruity-oaky profile that was vinified in a new-world style – a wine that in its current state is lacking harmony and finesse on the palate. We believe it will pair nicely with spicy meats, like for example a grilled T-bone steak or a marinated flank steak. Cheers!

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