VALAHORUM | Mierla Alba | 2021
feteasca neagra | merlot

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The Mierla Albă winery, that is part of the Valahorum brand, is dedicated to crafting wines in very small and exclusive series. Their philosophy is centered around showcasing the true expression of the Dealu Mare’s terroir, using only the finest grapes from their historic parcels. The name of their flagship wine, ‘Mierla Albă’, translates as ‘The White Blackbird’ – a powerful symbol of rarity and uniqueness. Just as a white blackbird is a remarkable and seldom-seen creature, this wine is intended to be an memorable experience, representing the pinnacle of their craft and the soul of their old vineyards and millennial winemaking tradition.
Tonight we are going to review an amazing wine from Dealu Mare, which is Romania’s most famous wine region – Valahorum Mierla Alba 2021 by Tohani. This is a limited edition wine – a harmonious blend of just two grape varieties: feteasca neagra and merlot, where feteasca neagra forms the wine’s main body and enriches the flavor profile with black fruit notes, thus increasing the overall complexity, whereas merlot adds up-front plummy richness and builds a more refined mid-palate, rounding out the final wine. The grapes are sourced from old vines, planted before 1975, ensuring low yields and flavor concentration. The winemaking is intentionally-traditional: fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts in 600-litre vessels, with daily manual punch-downs to gently extract color and flavor. The final wine is then aged for 24 months in Romanian oak barriques, with an additional year of bottle ageing time before it was deemed ready for the market release.

Located on the sun-drenched foothills of the south-eastern Carpathian Mountains, the Dealu Mare region’s varied altitudes and endless slopes foster excellent drainage and aeration necessary for vine health. The region benefits from a combination of geographical advantages that define its unique terroir, with a continental climate that is moderated by nearby mountains, offering warm days and cooler nights, ideal for developing phenolic ripeness and preserving natural acidity in the grape berries. The soils, mostly clay and loam with limestone deposits, provide good water retention and minerality. The region’s proximity to the Carpathian Mountains moderates temperature extremes, allowing for a longer growing season. These natural elements combine to create wines that allows for the full expression of each grape variety with vibrant and complex aromas, imparting structure, depth, and distinctive dusty undertones.
© Map credits: crameromania.ro

color: deep & opaque ruby color
clarity: bright ruby shades at the rim

In the glass, the wine presents a deep and opaque ruby color, with bright ruby shades towards the rim. This visual display suggests a wine of significant concentration and structure.

intensity: rich & delicate
fruit character: ripe

On the nose the wine feels rich and delicate at the same time. The foreground is dominated by a wave of ripe black fruits, with notes of blackberry, black plum, wild cherry, and blackcurrant. This fruit core is beautifully interwoven with complex savory notes of old leather, iron, and a distinctive hint of brown olive. Hints of violets and a subtle savory touch of iodine add further elegance. In the background, a profound earthiness of clay and loam grounds the aroma, while tertiary notes from the judicious oak ageing reveal notes of sweet tobacco, anise, nutmeg, and a faint, intriguing touch of wood varnish.

sweetness: dry | acidity: high | alcohol: high | tannin: medium | balance: good
finish: lasting | aftertaste: seedy & crisp

On the palate, the wine confirms the savory, old-world style suggested by the nose. The wine tastes ample and voluptuous, coating the mouth with a savory and slightly rustic character. It feels dry, driven by a vibrant acidity that brings adds freshness and counterbalances the wine’s richness. A well-integrated touch of alcoholic warmth contributes to its body and expansive mouthfeel. The tannins are ripe and fine-grained, providing a firm backbone without any hint of harshness. The tasting experience culminates in a long, crisp and pleasantly seedy aftertaste that lingers for quite a while, inviting for yet another sip.

maturity: developing | drink now or within the next 2 to 3 years
verdict: great | a benchmark wine | a wine that has all the traits to become legendary

Overall, this is a wine that masterfully balances power with finesse. It’s still in its developing phase, suggesting a good ageing potential. While thoroughly enjoyable today, especially after some aeration, it will undoubtedly gain further complexity and elegance with another 2 to 3 years of cellaring. This is a rich, voluptuous, and terroir-driven wine, with a multi-layered profile. With its rustic charm and profound hints of future elegance, this is a great expression of what Dealu Mare’s old vines can offer if properly managed.

The wine’s robust structure and savory character make it a very good partner for rich and earthy dishes. A classic pairing would be a slow-braised lamb shank with root vegetables, where the wine’s tannins would cut through the richness of the meat. Also, consider some wild boar stew with prunes and mushrooms, so that the wine’s dark fruit notes will complement the prunes, while its earthy undertones will harmonize beautifully with the game and fungi – a pairing that would elevate both, the dish and the wine. Cheers!
VALAHORUM | Mierla Alba | 2021
variety: feteasca neagra | merlot
country: Romania
region: Muntenia | Dealu Mare
rating: 94.6

The name ‘Mierla Albă’ translates from romanian as ‘The White Blackbird’ – a metaphor for the wine’s rarity and exceptional quality, as a white blackbird is a unique and seldom-seen sight in nature. The grapes are sourced from historic vineyards with vines planted before 1975, making them over 45 years old at the time of harvest, which contributes to the wine’s remarkable concentration and depth.

© 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!