CASTEL MIMÍ | Negru de Bulboaca | Grand Reserve | 2018
cabernet sauvignon | saperavi | rara neagra

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Castel Mimí has a rich history, dating back for 130 years, rooted in the vision of its creator, Constantin Mimi, who is credited with founding the first winery in Moldova. He pioneered innovative winemaking methods that reshaped the industry, ensuring that modern techniques complement traditional practices. Today, the estate continues to honor this legacy by producing wines that embody quality and excellence.
Today we are going to review a wine that hardly requires any introduction – Negru de Bulboaca Grand Reserve 2018 by Castel Mimí. This wine is a harmonious blend of three grape varieties: cabernet sauvignon, saperavi and rara neagra, where cabernet sauvignon forms the wine’s main body and structure, saperavi adds color depth and black fruit flavors, while rara neagra builds a more refined mid-palate, leading to a leaner and a more dynamic finish. The grapes for this wine were sourced from the Speia microregion that is situated near the banks of the Dniester River in the south-east of Moldova, under the Codru IGP appellation. All the grapes were harvested and selected by hand, and in order to soften the tannins and add a layer of extra complexity to the final blend, the wine has been aged for 28 months in state-of-the-art french oak barriques (the famous X-Blend series by Radoux), with a couple more years of bottle ageing before it is deemed ready for the market release. Crafted by the famous cooper master Christian Radoux, these barrels are made from 220-year-old oak trees, sourced from the Limousin forest in France, planted during the era of Napoleon Bonaparte, which makes them quite expensive and unique.

The Codru wine region has a moderate continental climate and a diverse array of loamy and clay soils, providing an ideal environment for grape growing. The altitude and microclimate of this wine region boasts moderate rainfall and is influenced by the Carpathian cool winds as well as the Black Sea breezes. The region is characterized by its diverse soil composition, which provide excellent drainage and minerality, while the warm summers and cold winters ensure that the grapes receive ample sunlight, encouraging ripening, thus contributing to the wine’s retention of flavors, resulting in a rich flavor profile.

color: medium-deep garnet color
clarity: hazy garnet shades at the rim

In the glass, the wine displays an intense, medium-deep garnet color, with hazy garnet shades at the rim, hinting at its age and depth.

intensity: pronounced & expressively-dusty
fruit character: ripe & dried

The aromatic profile is pronounced and expressively-dusty, revealing ripe and dried fruit characteristics. The nose is layered with earthy notes reminiscent of pencil lead, granite, and asphalt, complemented by dark fruits including wild cherry, prune, blackberry, casis and aronia berry. In the background, hints of toasted oakwood, tobacco, mocha, cloves, and peppercorn create a complex aromatic experience.

sweetness: dry | acidity: high | alcohol: high | tannin: high | balance: good
finish: long | aftertaste: overwhelmingly-crisp

On the palate, this wine feels full-bodied and complex, delivering a crisp and firm texture on the mouthfeel. Ripe and dehydrated fruit flavors intertwine with dusty and oak-derived nuances, to create a delightful interplay of flavours. The wine’s structure is bolstered by exuberant acidity, while fine-grained tannins lend a smooth, round mouthfeel. The balance is excellent, leading to a long finish with a nuanced crisp finale.

maturity: in its prime | drink now or within the next 3 to 4 years
verdict: great | a must try wine | a wine that has all the traits to become legendary

Overall, this is a firmly bold wine blend that has reached its prime form, showcasing pronounced dustiness and a complex character that reflects the old-world style, similar to those found in the Bordeaux region. This wine offers both, current pleasure and impressive ageing potential, specifically over the next 3 to 4 years, as it continues to evolve, slowly but steady – but keep an eye on this evolution, as it is always better to drink the wine a year too soon than a day too late.

CASTEL MIMÍ | Negru de Bulboaca | Grand Reserve | 2018
variety: cabernet sauvignon | saperavi | rara neagra
country: Moldova
region: Codru
rating: 94.0

For an lovely tasting experience, we would recommend pairing this exquisite wine with a rich dish, like braised lamb shanks or wild mushroom risotto. The wine’s structure and complexity will complement the depth of flavors in the dish, thus creating a harmonious union of flavours and textures that would enrich the palate and deliver a very appealing and extremely rich mouthfeel.

An interesting tidbit about Castel Mimí is that its founder, Constantin Mimi, was not only a key figure in establishing the basis for viticulture in Moldova, but also implemented winemaking techniques that were revolutionary for his time, paving the way for the modern moldovan wine industry.

© 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. Cheers!