Arezan Feteasca Neagra Murfatlar

Arezan Feteasca Neagra DOC-CMD Murfatlar 2012

VINEYARD NOTES: Latitude: 44°10´- 44°20´ northern latitude. Longitude: 28°00´-28°30´ east longitude. Climate: temperate continental, influenced by the Danube and the Black Sea. Relief: slightly wavy, slopes 4-5%. Type of soil: carbonated chernozem. The grapes are harvested from parcels number 1146, 1148, 1155 and 1158, planted in 2007 at Farm 3 „La sta]ie”, located at an altitude of 66 m, to the S-E, with 205 days of vegetation in 2011.

VINTAGE REPORT: For the harvest of 2011, the gentle and sunny autumn, together with the absence of rain offered the Murfatlar vineyard ideal conditions for producing red wines of exceptional quality. The average temperature in July, an essential month for wine, was of 23.80°C, with 2099 hours of actual heatstroke and 350 mm of rainfall in the months of vegetation.

WINEMAKING: The grapes of Feteasca Neagra were selected from the best wine grape plantations and harvested by hand in small crates as soon as they reached the optimum maturity. Once brought to the Atelier Cellars, the bunches first underwent a rigorous sorting process, “grape by grape”, followed by the destemming. The process of vinification debuted with a period of cold maceration of the must, followed by the injection of selected yeasts. The periodic homogenization of the must fermenting with the grape skins ensured the extraction of the aromas typical of this variety, its color and its tannins. The young wine was stored for maturation in new barrels of Romanian oak wood. At the end of the 18 months of maturation, the wines from each barrel were individually selected and assembled. The conditioning and filtration processes were kept to a necessary minimum, so as not to lose anything of the wine’s generous character and intense color.

SERVING: 16-18° Celsius. An excellent wine for pork, cabbage rolls and stew, lamb pastrami, pasta in red sauces and mushrooms, large vegetables and mature cheeses. Aging potential: delicious now through its youth and exuberance, it will beautifully settle through careful bottle storage over the next 5-7 years. For those willing to wait and enjoy rusty hues and mature tannins, this is a wine worth evaluating to 10-15 years of age.

ANALYSIS: Alc=13,7%; Zah=3,54g/l; pH=3,31; AT=5,44; AV=0,50. Batch: 12.921 bottles.

TASTING NOTES: A flavorful, bright wine with a persistent aftertaste. Intense, purple red color. We find aromas of forest fruits, raspberry and ripe cherry delicately combined, with hints of white pepper, cloves and marzipan. Tasting it, we find the familiar red fruit and the freshness of supple tannins, which are perfectly blended with their softness with the suave notes of vanilla extracted from the oak wood.