Ben says
★ Good Wine “Modelled on a Bordeaux blend but with a twist – a big, brash spicy and dark dollop of Feteasca Neagra (Romania and Moldova’s answer to Shiraz for want of a comparison). It’s a spicy, full-bodied and brooding red wine but with a floral violet lift on the aroma and careful balancing of clove-stuffed tannins from wood-ageing. It needs some time to mellow (it’s still coming out of the gates swinging) but it certainly isn’t lacking character.“
KEY POINTS
Feteasca Neagra, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend with 14.5% abv. Matured in French oak barrels for 12 months.
Grown in: Codru, MOLDOVA.
Food Pairing
Deep dark reds like this deserve quality steaks or a pongy, flavoursome cheeseboard and chutneys – preferably next to a roaring fire.
Disclosure & Price
Tasted at the Central & Eastern Europe trade tasting event. Not yet available from the UK. Circa £10 from the cellar door in Moldova.
Reviewed and tasted: 18/06/2024
About the Producer
Castel Mimi was founded in 1893 and has been described as the “mini Versailles”. Constantin Mimi became one of Moldova’s most prolific winemakers in the 20th century. Today it owns 200 hectares of vineyards near the Nistru River and has over 1000 barrels for wine maturation. It produces a whopping half a million bottles and exports them to countries all over the world. The current winemaker is Adrian Trofim who has modernised the range, particularly the ‘AnimAllens’ range that offers superb introductions to Moldovan blends and grape varieties.
