Winews / Romanian Wines in the Eyes of a Master of Wine




22nd of December 2015

If one asks a Romanian’s opinion on Romanian wines, he or she will say that they are one of the best. But if that isn’t a reliably enough source, just ask Jancis Robinson and her team. They will say the same.

 On Jancis Robinson’s website, Romania is in top 10 best wine countries and this is what she had to say about the country on her last visit:

„Wine and Romania are virtually synonymous. The country has more land under vine than Australia, South Africa or Chile, according to OIV figures, more than any other eastern European country, considerably more than its eastern neighbour Moldavia and almost three times as much as the third most important wine producer of the old Soviet bloc Bulgaria. Whereas wine production elsewhere was very much in state hands under the Soviet regime, many Romanians continued, and continue, to grow a few vines and make a bit of wine for domestic consumption. Indeed, the domestic market is a rather confused mix of home-made and increasingly sophisticated branded products.”

MW Jancis Robinson her self visited Romanian wine fair, ROvinHud, last year and. But in 2015 it was MW Julia Harding’s turn. Julia is Jancis's full-time assistant and crucial to maintaining the high editorial standards of the site. See here for full details of her glorious career. As a top pass in the punishing Master of Wine exams (she took them in 2003 and passed first time with flying colours, and gained a distinction for her dissertation in 2004), she is particularly up to speed on oenological and viticultural matters and is also prepared to tackle the complexities of wine legislation head on. In 2009 she won a Special Award in the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards, she was Portuguese Wine Writer of the Year in 2012 and is co-author, with José Vouillamoz and Jancis, of the multi award-winning Wine Grapes - a complete guide to 1,368 grape varieties including their origins and flavours. She is much in demand as a mentor for Master of Wine students.

Julia published the tasting notes on jancisrobinson.com of the Romanian wines that she tasted at the exhibition in Timisoara. From the 88 wines tasted, six of them got 17 points out of 20, which looks promising.

Julia writes: “This collection of tasting notes, like all the others listed in this guide, is a team effort, a gathering together of reviews from occasions many and various over the last few months. Observant readers will spot a large number of reviews of Romanian wines. These were almost all collected during the second ROvinHUd wine fair last month in Timișoara. For more on this excellent initiative, see Jancis's description of its maiden voyage in Benevolence in Transylvania. Some of my notes come from the main fair and its masterclasses, which were open to the public, some from visits to nearby producers. They range from the very small (Petro Vaselo) to the frankly enormous (Cramele Recaș), the latter responsible for more than 50% of all Romanian exports.

The wines are grouped by country where there were enough notes to warrant a separate group, and in descending score order within those groups. For the wines in the 'assorted' groups, you may need to click on the individual wine name to see the country of origin if the more specific region is not familiar to you.




 ROMANIA WHITES AND ROSÉS 

  • Avincis Pinot Gris/Fetească Regală 2013 Drăgăşani
    70% Pinot Gris young vines, 30% Fetească Regala old vines, the latter fermented and aged 10 months in French oak.
    Impressive depth and firm texture, the oak discreet, giving a creamy quality to the aroma. Herbal, precise and an attractive sour freshness. (JH)
    14%
    Drink 2015-2018
     16.5
  • Avincis Crâmpoșie Selecționată 2014 Drăgăşani
    Smells a little cedary, not very clean on the nose? Lemony, very dry, slightly sour. Cleaner on the palate and more citrusy, green fruits. Much fresher and cleaner but less intensity than the Știrbey Crâmpoșie Selecționată. (JH)
    12%
    Drink 2015-2016
    15.5
  • Balla Géza Mustoasă de Măderat 2014 Miniș
    Productive high-acid variety making light, fresh whites.
    Cedary herbal nose, salty. Very crisp and clean, zesty, not bone dry? Good intensity and long. Attractive purity and precise, clean lines. (JH)
    12.5%
    Drink 2015-2016
    16
  • Balla Géza Fetească Regală 2015 Miniș
    Tank sample. Still tastes a little of ferment (pear) but lightly aromatic – citrus and a touch of pepper. Juicy and great freshness without any phenolics. It has some sweetness - RS 5.4 g/l - because the ferment stopped before the end but the balance is nice. Creamy and gentle. (JH)
    14.5%
    Drink 2016-2017
    15.5
  • Balla Géza, Stone Wine Furmint 2013 Miniș
    He is the only producer of Furmint in Romania, apparently, planted 10 years ago. Oaked. Planted at 500 m with very shallow soil, hence the name Stone Wine. 
    Quite deep gold, ripe ctirus, even a touch of orange. A little bit harsh and oxidative. Lanolin, beeswax, honey. Has the variety’s hallmark acidity but not its finesse. Broad and big. (JH)
    14.5%
    Drink 2015-2017
    15.5
  • Balla Géza, Rosé 2015 Miniș
    40% Fetească Neagră, 40% Merlot and 20% Kadarka. Direct pressing. 
    Deep pink. Packed with aromatic red fruit. Sweet red plum and strawberry. Tastes like children’s cough medicine with that very sweet fruit flavour. But it is dry and fresh. A bit like drinking alcoholic fruit juice but it finishes dry.
    14.5%
    Drink 2015-2016
    15.5
  • Davino, Monogram Fetească Alba 2014 Dealu Mare
    60% of the fruit is from 35-year-old vines.
    Smoky, intense and spicy. More complex and fiery central Europe than the Plai bottling. Intense and long. Lots of personality and plenty of aroma - cedar too. Savoury, saline finish and really fresh. (JH)
    13.2%
    Drink 2015-2019
    17
  • Davino, Plai Fetească Alba 2014 Dealu Mare
    Peppery, herbal, aromatic, with a slight grip and bitterness and a cedary quality even though it is unoaked. Tight, crisp and on the powerful side. Overall a little bit harder than the Monogram Fetească Alba. (JH)
    13%
    Drink 2015-2017
    16
  • Davino, Revelatio Sauvignon Blanc/Fetească Alba 2012 Dealu Mare
    Barrel fermented. Oily and mineral on the nose and quite evolved. Mid gold with just sufficient refreshment factor. Some notes of lime and bay leaf. A bit heavy as an aperitif but holds its own reasonably well with a mozzarella salad. Bold with a hint of sour honey on the palate. Distinctive but lacks refinement and looking a little tired. (JH)
    13.9%
    Drink 2014-2016
    16
  • Gîrboiu, Epicentrum Șarbă/Plăvaie 2014 Cotești
    Two indigenous varieties that are extremely rare.
    Unusual, spicy/mineral aroma. Dry, very tight and real purity and distinctive flavours. Not especially aromatic but long and zesty with real depth on the mid palate. (JH)
    13%
    Drink 2015-2017
    16
  • Gîrboiu, Cuartz Brut NV Cotești
    Based on 2014. Fetească Alba and Plăvaie.
    Lightly aromatic – elderflower and herbal. Dryish, creamy, fresh, but soft on the finish. (JH)
    12%
    Drink 2015-2016
    15.5
  • Gîrboiu, Cuartz Rosé Brut NV Cotești
    Pinot Noir. Pretty pale pink. Gentle, Victoria plum aroma. Slight grip in the texture, gentle but with a bit more to it than the white Cuartz, a perceptible sweetness on the finish. (JH)
    11%
    Drink 2015-2016
    15.5
  • Gîrboiu, Tectonic Șarbă 2014 Cotești
    A cross between Graševina and an as-yet unknown parent. Only two producers in Romania. They have 15 ha planted.
    Delicate, a little herbal and grapey but only very slightly aromatic. Light quince freshness, rather neutral on the palate and a touch sour on the finish, though there is more to it than the Plăvaie. Dry and surprisingly long given the lack of fruit intensity. Please persevere with this variety. (JH)
    13.7%
    Drink 2015-2016
    15.5
  • Gîrboiu, Livia Plăvaie 2014 Cotești
    My first, rather disappointing, taste of this variety - but maybe it will improve as the vines age. They are currently the sole producer of this variety in Romania. Creamy texture but not much aroma. Dry and rather dilute. Please persevere. (JH)
    12%
    Drink 2015-2016
    14.5
  • Lacerta Fetească Alba 2014 Dealu Mare
    Sour fruits – quince and cedar. Bone dry. Savoury and a little smoky. Sour quince on the finish. Clean and zesty but not sure it is playing to the variety’s strengths? Maybe more food friendly? A bit tart. A bit Chablis like. (JH)
    13.5%
    Drink 2015-2017
    16
  • Liliac Fetească Alba 2014 Lechința
    Gently grapey floral nose. Salty citrus. Dry but with sweetness of fruit and beautifully crisp but not simple, with a salty aftertaste that opens up the palate. Great combo of aromatic and appetite-whetting. Cooler northern region of origin showing through. (JH)
    13%
    Drink 2015-2017
    16.5
  • Liliac Fetească Regală 2013 Lechința
    Spice and a light note of lees / oak on the nose. Woody/salty palate. Lots of energy and the oak carefully done. Powerful with quince freshness but the acidity well balanced. (JH)
    13%
    Drink 2015-2017
    16.5
  • Liliac Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Lechința
    Owned by a wealthy Austrian. Vines all about 5 years old.
    Slightly smoky, sweaty, intense and full-fruited on the nose. Smoky on the palate, more ripe citrus than grassy, though more classic Sauvignon Blanc flavours emerge on the finish. Ripe fruited but dry. (JH)
    14%
    Drink 2015-2016
    16.5
  • Liliac Fetească Regală 2014 Lechința
    Lightly floral and herbal on the nose. Bone dry, relatively full bodied and without the variety’s potential phenolic character. Full but fresh, lemony mid-palate depth. Slightly smoky (reductive?). Sour/salty fresh finish. (JH)
    13%
    Drink 2015-2017
    16.5
  • Liliac, Private Selection Orange Chardonnay 2014 Lechința
    Six weeks on skins and total eight months in barrel. Transylvanian oak.
    Deiberately cloudy. Complex nose of citrus, apricot and dried grasses. Very gently tannic and a little smoky. More promise on the nose than is delivered on the palate. Very dry, slightly sour, pear-grained texture. Quite long. (JH)
    13%
    Drink 2015-2018
    16
  • Crama Oprişor, Rusalcă Albă 2014 IG Dealurile Olteniei
    Rusalcă was apparently a 'malefic mermaid ... predatory female fish who, turned into a woman and wandering about woods, used to seduce young men and drown them in the river or in the lake'. A blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Italian Riesling and Pinot Gris.
    Has the same slight woody note of the Cetate Sauvignon, although there is no oak used in the winemaking. Crisp, herbal, a bit dilute. (JH)
    13%
    Drink 2015-2017
    15.5
  • Petro Vaselo, Kotys Blanc de Noirs 2012 Recaş
    85% Pinot Noir and 15% Chardonnay. Zero dosage. 24 months on lees. ‘My dream', says Italian winemaker Marco Feltrin, 'is that people will start to drink wine like this – cloudy’. 700 bottles, champagne method. Sold with lees, ie not disgorged, under crown cap, so has to be hand disgorged by the drinker (can be messy). Labels upside down. No oak until 2013 vintage. No malo. 
    Very slightly cloudy. Pale straw. Deep citrus aroma and some dried wild grasses. Very dry and winey, not particularly autolytic (toasty/yeasty), dry and textured, with a very slight grip. Long, zesty. (JH)
    12%
    Drink 2015-2018
    17
  • Petro Vaselo, Bendis Nadir Blanc de Noirs 2014 Recaş
    100% Pinot Noir. 60 days on lees. Dosage 11 g/l, pH 3.2. Bendis was the Thracian goddess of the moon.
    Very pale pink. Fresh and fragrant. Lively and subtle - more blossom than fruit but subtly so. Very fresh, crisp and juicy. Bad year for reds but good for fizz. Italian winemaker Marco Feltrin is very proud of this year’s fizz – best till now. Refined and good length. (JH)
    12%
    Drink 2015-2016
    16.5
  • Petro Vaselo, Bendis Rosé 2014 Recaş
    18 hours' skin contact. 60 days on lees post ferment. 10.5 g/l dosage.
    Pretty pale orangey pink. Lovely fresh aroma, Victoria plums (the pale-skinned ones used to make jam) but still lightly floral and fragrant. Fine mousse. Little bit of orange flavour. Refined and good length. Light bitterness adds freshness. (JH)
    12%
    Drink 2015-2016
    16.5
  • Petro Vaselo, Alb 2014 Recaş
    Chardonnay on limestone. Their entry-level white. Fermented in tank, 6 months on lees. TA 6 g/l.
    Very pale gold. Aromatic, delicate and a little cedary but has citrus freshness too (no oak). Quite gentle on the palate, generous and well balanced if not terribly long. Dry but softly textured. Nice in the mouth but shortish. Actually quite fresh on the finish. Sells out before the next vintage, apparently. This would be around €10 retail in Romania. (JH)
    13%
    Drink 2015-2017
    15.5
  • Prince Știrbey Crâmpoșie Selecționată 2014 IG Dealurile Olteniei
    Smoky, citrus/cedar. Extreme acidity and a slight bitterness to its fresh character. Needs food? Salty and mouth-watering. Very direct and focused. Pure and long. Not sure about ageing potential? Mouth-watering finish. A variety with clear potential in the right hands. (JH)
    12%
    Drink 2015-2018
    16.5
  • Prince Știrbey, Crâmpoșie Selecționată Extra Brut NV Romania
    2010 vintage, disgorged 11/8/15 (and helpfully says so on the label). 65% of the wine was fermented in old oak. Traditional method. Ambient yeast. 45 months on the lees and zero dosage. No malo.
    Interesting aroma - cedar, citrus and a sour/salty freshness. Dry and crisp with a slight grip to the texture. There's no noticeable autolytic character (bread or toast). Long and direct. Serious fizz and a smart way to use this promising variety (a seedling of the much older Crâmpoșie). (JH)
    12%
    Drink 2015-2017
    16
  • Prince Știrbey, Rosé Novac Brut 2011 Romania
    Traditional method. Direct pressing of whole clusters. 50% of the still wine aged 6 months in oak. 36 months on lees. Dosage 8 g/l. They describe Novac as 'their Pinot Noir'.
    Deep pink, with plenty of red-fruit aroma. Tight, dry and very fresh. Doesn't have any noticeable bready/yeasty autolytic character but has good depth of flavour and lively red fruit. Very well made. (JH)
    12%
    Drink 2015-2017
    16
  • SERVE, Cuvée Amaury 2012 Dealu Mare
    Blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay and Fetească Alba, partly barrel fermented.
    Greeny gold with a strong woody/cedar aroma and marked wood character on the palate. Creamy texture, hint of resin and that aged-Riesling character that is somwhere between resin and kerosene. Complex, full bodied, the oak showing but not dominating. Long.
    14%
    Drink 2014-2018
    16.5
  • SERVE, Terra Romana 2014 Dealu Mare
    A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay.
    Complex aroma that is both cedary and more typically Sauvignon Blanc capsicum, with some smoky reduction. Tight and grassy on the palate. Very dry with a slight grain in the texture. Attractive balance of structure and aroma and fresh to the finish. (JH)
    13%
    Drink 2015-2017
    16

ROMANIA REDS

  • Avincis Negru de Drăgăşani 2012 Drăgăşani
    Their first vintage of this still-rare variety - a dry year. Apparently, you get relatively high alcohol with this variety.
    I think the bottle tasted in the local varieties tasting may not have been in great condition because when I tasted this later, at the producer's stand, it was much cleaner and not as hard on the palate, though it still lacked juice. The Știrbey example was more attractive and gave a better idea of what this variety is like. (JH)
    15%
    Drink 2016-2020
    15-
  • Crama Bauer Fetească Neagră 2013 Romania
    Deep purplish crimson. Lots of oak spice and vanilla on the nose. Tight and a little severe on the palate. But has nice fruit and I am sure it would be better with food. (JH)
    13%
    Drink 2015-2019
    16
  • Corcova Roy & Damboviceanu, Cuvée Racoveanu 2011 Mehedinți
    The first owner of the company brought French varieties to the vineyard. This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, fermented with ambient yeast. One year in oak.
    Dark fruited and spicy, with a savoury quality. Firm, dry and elegant. Lots of dark fruit to fill out the fine-boned tannins. Starting to drink well now. (JH)
    14.8%
    Drink 2015-2020
    16
  • Corcova Roy & Damboviceanu Fetească Neagră 2014 Mehedinți
    This was a difficult year - very rainy and problems with rot thanks to the variety's thin skins - so they blended in 10% of barrel-aged wine from the 2013 vintage to beef it up a bit.
    Deep crimson. Peppery and fresh. Lively, dry but still juicy. Fine tannins. (JH)
    12.5%
    Drink 2015-2017
    15.5
  • Davino, Plai Fetească Neagră 2011 Dealu Mare
    Apparently, after 2009, 2011 was the best vintage in the last ten years. 3 months in 2nd-use oak.
    Inky with a hint of brown at the rim. Complex dried-fruit aroma without raisining. Savoury, smoky like charred roasted vegetables. Rich and long with balsamic notes too. Tannins are dense and just a little grainy. (JH)
    14.9%
    Drink 2014-2020
    17
  • Davino, Monogram Fetească Neagră 2013 Dealu Mare
    2013 was a cooler year. 12 months in new Romanian oak.
    Smoky but with fresher fruit than the Plai 2011. Lots of dark fruit as well as sweet cherry, supple and savoury. Peppery spice on the long finish. (JH)
    13%
    Drink 2015-2020
    17
  • Gîrboiu, Tectonic Fetească Neagră 2013 Cotești
    Three months in 2nd-use barriques. 
    Smoky and spiced with a hint of vanilla and very slightly reductive (smoky). A touch of cedar too. A bit thick and oaky on the palate but there is still good rich dark fruit in the middle. Just a little heavy handed. Firm, rounded texture. Just fresh enough. (JH)
    14%
    Drink 2016-2020
    16
  • Liliac, Private Selection Pinot Noir 2013 Lechința
    Eight months in Transylvanian oak. 
    Greyish crimson. Sweet cherry aroma. Slightly stalky. A little bit hard, hence the minus, but lots of sweet fresh fruit flavour and a touch of spice. Not bad length. (JH)
    14.5%
    Drink 2015-2018
    16-
  • Petro Vaselo, Ovaș 2011 Recaş
    Kober 5BB rootstocks. Red soils - terra rossa. 60% green harvest – one in June and one in July. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot. Vines planted 2005.  2.5 years in barrel, 80% new. 
    Deep crimson. Fresh, bright spicy cassis. Cedary on the palate, velvety and dry and elegant. The oak is there but finely balanced. Elegant and the oak is in the background. (JH)
    14.5%
    Drink 2015-2018
    17
  • Petro Vaselo, Melgis Fetească Neagră 2012 Recaş
    Fermented in oak vats with ambient yeasts. The ferment was difficult and took almost a month. 60% new oak, 40% 2-year-old tonneaux. The variety can have spicy aromas and he wanted to keep those. 18 months in barrel. Rented vineyard, 11 years old. 
    Deep crimson. Cool, cedary nose. Peppery, dark-red fruit. Dry and silky and refined. Very elegant. Pinot approach to this variety. Juicy with fine tannins. Light-handed but elegant and long. (JH)
    14%
    Drink 2015-2018
    16.5
  • Petro Vaselo, Otarnița 2012 Recaş
    Mid range. Serbian name for the terroir of the vineyard. Bunches are trimmed to open the bunches. Fermented in oak vats over 25 days, 1 year and 4 months in barrel. Two- and 3-year-old oak. 
    Greyish crimson. Fresh, very gentle tannins, a slight bitterness on the finish, hence the minus. Ripe but not overripe, fresh, sweet-fruited, red cherry, a touch spicy. Gentle, persistent finish. Silky texture. (JH)
    14%
    Drink 2015-2017
    16-
  • Prince Știrbey Negru de Drăgăşani 2013 IG Dealurile Olteniei
    Five weeks vatting in total so that the extraction from the skins is thanks to time not to more aggressive methods of rack and return or plunging, then 6 months in 600-litre wooden vats.
    Herbal with some vanilla sweetness (although it is unoaked) and attractively wild red fruits on the nose and palate. Hint of reduction. Lively with some tart redcurrant fruit and fine-boned tannins. Soft, smooth texture. Juicy and drinkable without being simple. Fresh acidity, showing the promise of the variety for a lightish but characterful wine. (JH)
    14.5%
    Drink 2015-2017
    16.5
  • Prince Știrbey Novac/Negru de Drăgăşani 2013 IG Dealurile Olteniei
    A field blend of 80% Novac and 20% Negru de Drăgășani, planted in 2006 at a high density of 8,000 vines per ha, each vine individually staked. Fruit zone lower to the ground to ripen earlier but shaded a little to keep sugar levels lower and acidity fresh. Six weeks on skins, 15 months in 300-litre Romanian oak (2nd and 3rd fill). German winemaker Oliver Bauer.
    Slightly herbal aroma but fully ripe dark-red fruit. Not quite as wild-fruited as the 100% Negru de Drăgășani. Extremely smooth but with a lively fresh bite on the finish. Great to see so much effort in the vineyard to refine the qualities of these two varieties. (JH)
    14.5%
    Drink 2015-2019
    16.5
  • SERVE, Guy de Poix Fetească Neagră 2012 Dealu Mare
    12 months in oak. I was told that this was the variety that persuaded the French founder of SERVE, M Guy de Poix, to stay in Romania in the early 90s.
    Very deeply coloured. Sweet and oaky on the nose, smells ripe and spicy, with some dried-fruit notes. Deep and chewy but overall a bit hard and overly oaky, as if the oak and tannins have combined to form a tough core. Maybe this will develop and soften but not showing much sign of doing so so far. (JH)
    15.5%
    Drink 2015-2020
    16


There is no doubt that Romanian wines will keep evolving every year, every harvest, with every wine sip we take. But don’t believe us when we are telling you they are good, try them for yourself.



Photos source: rovinhud.net