Off the Beaten Path with Zoltan Szabo in Bucharest (Romania): Soro Lume

The day had already been a rip-roaring success having to its credit the monumental tasting of Romanian wines at Wine With Me, followed by a similarly spectacular traditional Romanian lunch at the historical Restaurant Casa Doina. Now, after a period of rest, we reconvened in the hotel lobby to venture off on the next steps Off the Beaten Path with Zoltan Szabo. Our original team remained intact.

The Team: Daniel Topan, Zoltan Szabo,
and Author
(Picture taken at a subsequent date)

After a fair amount of driving -- and an equal amount of chatter -- we arrived at our destination: Soro Lume. Wanderhog.com describes this locale as "a charming restaurant ... housed in a beautiful neoromanian-style old building ... Owned by Chef Mihai Toader and Melinda Teohari, the restaurant aims to serve delicious open-flame cooked food that changes with the seasons."

On arriving, we walked through a narrow gate into a leafy, open courtyard which terminated at a bar beyond which was an open flame. Zoltan engaged in a meaty hug with someone whom I eventually came to realize was the Chef/Owner Milhai.

After the greetings and salutations in the courtyard, we were led upstairs into a more serene, less light-intense environment. This was the "neoromanian-style old house" of which wanderhog.com had spoken. We were seated in a cozy corner where we could fully soak up the ambience of the environment while still being fully accessible by the wait staff.

Our Sommelier, who, it turned out, would be our guide for the entire evening, asked about drinks to start. After a lengthy discussion -- nothing is easy with these two guys -- we settled on a Pǎlincǎ and beer to start. Of course I had to receive a full education on the drink prior to even picking up the glass to taste the concoction. According to information provided by Daniel,

Pǎlincǎ is Romania's traditional fruit brandy -- strong, authentic and deeply connected to village hospitality. In Translyvania and Maramures, it is offered to guests as a welcome drink ... made from plums, pears or apples and usually enjoyed before a traditional meal."

Zoltan, Author, and Daniel

Pǎlincǎ and beer

The Somm described our upcoming experience as a nine-course tasting menu of Romanian dishes using ingredients from various Romanian territories. "With every dish you will feel the smoky flavor because they are cooked over fire in the outside kitchen." The dishes would include an amuse bouche plus four appetizers, three main courses, and two desserts and would be accompanied by paired wines if we so desired. We also had the option of buying our drinks separately. After some consideration we opted for the paired wine selections.

The courses were deployed as follows.

Amuse Bouche

Amuse Bouche: Canned cabbage roll
surrounding a cauliflower purée, pickled
green peppers, and Romanian goat cheese.
The white crown is pickled cold Rabé.

Cold Spinach Borsch

The wine that was paired with the Amuse bouche was a PetNat from Crama Ferdi. The wine is called Chef's Choice because of the involvement of Chef Milhai and a Chef from another establishment. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and then aged in oak barrels. After 1.5 months in barrel, hops are added, giving the wine an elderflower aroma.

Wine Pairing for the Amuse Bouche:
Crama Ferdi Sauvage H. Chefs Choice

Appetizers

Appetizer #1: Nettle Stew -- cooked
on a fire and served with a cream
that included macerated cheese and an
emulsion made from wild berries,
radishes, and spring herbs.
Accompanied by bread made at
the restaurant

Wine #2: Prince Stirbey Tǎmǎroasǎ
Romǎneascǎ 2023

The second wine -- Prince Stirbey Tǎmǎroasǎ Romǎneascǎ 2023 -- was paired with the Nettle Stew. According to the Somm, the winery had a lengthy history in the Dragasani region, a history which was disrupted by the requirements of the managed economy. It was reconstituted in its current form in 2001 when a member of the former owning family returned to Romania and restarted a Quality Wine operation. 

The wine, according to the Somm, has a floral smell and aromatic notes, qualities which would stand it in good stead when paired with the dish. Zoltan agreed, insisting that the dish was very smoky and so needed the aromatics to complement. Zoltan was very impressed with the pairing both in terms of the strategy and the results.

Appetizer #2: Polenta boiled in cheese
leftovers then burnt and topped with a
mushroom ketchup. On the side, smoked
sour cream topped with mushroom powder
and sauteed mushrooms

Wine #3: Nachbil Rhine
Riesling

Appetizer #3: Catch of the Season --
Corvina Filet cooked on the fire.
Served on a green sauce and with a leafy
topping which adds acidity to the dish

This was a powerful fish which overwhelmed the palate and the wine. It probably could have spent a little more time under heat. Not my favorite of the dishes tasted that evening.

Appetizer #4: New Cabbage
-- Cabbage cooked on the grill
and topped with a Spring Herb
Sauce. The sauce includes green
onions, green garlic, wild garlic,
spinach, sunflower seeds, and a
reduction made of borsch. Some
spring herbs added.

The New Cabbage dish is 100% vegan and its heightened acidity vis a vis the preceding dishes is intended to serve as a separator between those dishes and the meat dishes to follow. There is no specific wine paired with this dish so we used the Rhine Riesling from the preceding dish. Zoltan thought this was the best pairing that he had had since returning to Romania seven years ago.

Main Courses

Main Course #1: Sheep Loin cooked
on a fire and glazed with a concoction
containing eggplant, eggplant mousse,
chocolate and tomato sauce, and
pickled onions

The dish was paired with a Dagon First Barrel Bǎbeasca Neagrǎ 2025. this wine is similar in body to a Pinot Noir but does not possess the latter's flavor or agability. This wine characteristically shows sour red fruits and is best drunk young. Zoltan mentioned that this light-bodied red would have probably gone well with the previous fish course; the Somm agreed but said he would tell us later why he chose not to go that route.

Wine #4: Dagon First Barrel
Bǎbeasca Neagrǎ, 2025

The second main course is called Fannah and is comprised of beef tongue fried on wood fire served on top of a leek sauce that is made with spring herbs and a demi-glace that is made from olives. This is accompanied by a Grilled Cucumber Salad.

Main Course #2: Fanah -- Beef Tongue
with leeks and olives

Grilled Cucumber Salad

The pairing for the dish was 2020 Syrah reserve from Nachbil, the producer of the Rhine Riesling drunk earlier. According to the Somm, this is the oldest Syrah vine in the country. The wine was aged in 50% first-passage and 50% second-passage oak.

Wine #5: Nachbil Syrah 2022

At about this time, Chef Mihai Toader stopped by to see how things were going and got into a discussion with Daniel about the restaurant cooking process.The upshot was that a dish could be subjected to one or more cooking processes -- charcoal, open fire, smoker, and wood oven -- but, in all cases, beechwood was the fuel source.

Chef Mihai Toader

Main #3: Pork with Cabbage --
Slow-cooked Pork with a Mushroom
Glaze and a wild-garlic emulsion.
Accompanied by a Cabbage Roll with
innards to include Cabbage Pureé and
Pickled Cabbage and with green
(mushroom) and white toppings

This dish was paired with the Davino Rouge 2020. This wine is an equal-parts blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Feteascǎ Neagrǎ. Each variety is fermented and aged separately in 50% first-pass and 50% second-pass oak barriques.

Davino Rouge 2020

***********************************************************************************************************

The evening clicked on all cylinders.

Somm, Zoltan, Mihai, Author, and
Daniel at the conclusion of a superb
dinner

First, the locale. The restaurant sits outside the hustle and bustle of the downtown area, a calming effect in its own right. Within the restaurant, a number of seating choices open up to the customer: courtyard seating; the bar fronting the cooking area; or the serenity of upstairs dining.

The staff is courteous and well-attired, with a wealth of training visible in their every action.

Zoltan still cannot stop raving about our Somm. And I am in agreement with him. The young man presented well on a persona level but, beyond that, his knowledge of the dishes and the wine, and how they worked together, was fulsome. His delivery was impeccable. His choice of pairings was perfection, except for the one case that he promised to explain later (he forgot to do same). Zoltan had raised the issue of whether the Dagon Bǎbeasca Neagrǎ would have been a better pairing for the Corvina. That fish had been so strong that we set it aside. 

Outside of the fish, all of the dishes were outstanding. And these were not simple dishes. It was wonderful to see how the Chef weaved these multi-ingredient dishes together, ending up with tasteful, smoke-etched masterpieces. I loved the way he used the vegan dish as the dividing line in the dinner: white-wine-sympathetic dishes before, red-wine dishes after.

The courses were hearty and I can't remember us getting to the desserts. 

Awesome evening that put the Beaten Path to shame.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

A tasting of selected Dealu Mare (Muntenia, Romania) Feteascǎ Neagrǎ wines

I began the discussion of the Dealu Mare Feteascǎ Neagrǎ (FN) Masterclass by describing both the region and the variety. I will now turn to the wines and the tasting.

The tasting was organized by the Winelovers Romania team for the mutual benefit of participants in the #winelovers 14th Anniversary Celebration and willing Dealu Mare producers who would not, due to timing issues, be visited by the celebrants. The intent was to showcase these producers' instances of the region's most famous native variety.

The Wines

A total of eight Feteascǎ Neagrǎ wines were included in the tasting. In order:

• Crama de Pietra Poama Feti Negri 2023
• Crama Ferdi Lady Black Limited Edition 2024
• Villa Metamorfosis Cantvs Primvs 2023
• Lacerta Feteascǎ Neagrǎ Limited Edition 2020
• Crama De Matei Patima Feteascǎ Neagrǎ Single Vineyard 2021
• Davino Purpura Valahica 2021
• Lartist de Gabi Lacureanu 2020
• Crama SERVE Cuvée Guy de Poix 2012.

Seven of the eight wines fit the bill of "producers not visited." We had visited Crama di Pietra earlier in the day but had not had the opportunity to taste the Poama Feti Negri. Some botles were secured and included in this tasting.

The below map shows the approximate location in the Dealu Mare region where the grapes were grown and the wines made. The map also provides information on the producers and the wines. 

At this time I would like to revisit an observation I have made previously. The information showed on the map above was gleaned from winery websites but Romanian winery websites are, for the majority that I have seen, not up to international standards when it comes to information curation and dissemination. The information that I have encountered is, in most cases, poor in quantity and quality. In my opinion, a winery website should provide information on the estate's physical and built environments, viticultural and vinicultural practices, and, if possible, plot maps by variety. Romanian winery websites tend to be rich in language and poor in wine substance.

The Tasting

The tasting was led by Liviu Gheorge --- WSET Diploma in Wine and Spirits and Level 2 in Beer -- and Iulian Grigorescu. These gentlemen detailed how the tasting would proceed, introduced the wines, and poured the wines for the tasting team.

Iulian Grigorescu and Liviu Gheorge

Tasting Group

Ana Crudu and Luiz Alberto

The first wine tasted was the Crama de Pietra Poama Feti Negri 2023. Crama di Pietra is an 8-year-old boutique winery with 20- to 45-year-old vines in its portfolio. This wine spent 14 months on Romanian oak.

On the nose, sweet black fruit, blue fruit, sage, lychee character, and baking spices. Perfumed. On the palate, bright acidity, richness, spice, creaminess, mineral. Persistence.

The Crama Ferdi Lady Black Ltd Ed 2024 is the product of a limited-intervention winemaking environment and spent 14 months in oak. Complex nose to include sweet sage aromas, fudge, and coal tar. Leaner on the palate than the previous wine. Sour cherry, grippy tannins, bitter note, and a long, black-fruit finish.

Villa Metamorfosis is a part of the Antinori Group and draws on 9.5 ha of organically farmed Feteascǎ Neagrǎ vines for its FN wines. The nose on the Cantvs Primvs 2023 was affected by the wine being poured into a glass which had just hosted a corked wine. Sour cherry on the palate and not as rich as the preceding wines. Deep, dense black fruit, tar, minerality and persistence accompanying smooth, silky tannins.

The Lacerta FN spends 12 months in French, American, and Romanian oak barrels. The 2020 FN was rich on the nose and complex. Rich on the palate with muted acidity. Tomato character and bitterness. Persistence. 

The Crama De Matei Patima FN Single Vineyard 2021 is sourced from a single vineyard of 40-year-old vines. Saline, acetone, and dried bark on the nose. Sweet, medicinal, and liturgical on the palate. Not my favorite of the wines tasted so far.

I had previously tasted a Davino FN blend (Flamboyant) and was singularly impressed by the quality of the material presented on the website and the quality of the wine. The Purpura Vahilica 2021 was more of the same. This 100% FN wine was vinified in small stainless steel tanks and aged in second-passage Romanian oak barriques for 9 months and bottle for an additional 12 months.

Complex, sweet-fruit nose. Power on the palate with dark fruit and pepper. Persistent with a long finish. Elegant wine.

The Lartist 2020 is sourced from 35-year-old vines, according to the literature, but while I found the name of the winemaker, I could not find an associated estate. This leads me to think that the wine is produced by a negociant. 

Tar, rubber, sweet, fresh blue fruit, and a lille bit of VA on the nose. VA on the palate also. Sour cherry character, akin to Messorio's Paleo. Short finish.

The final wine tasted was a magnum of 2020 Crama SERVE Cuvée Guy de Poix. This wine was donated to the tasting by Liviu who had himself received it as a present  from the wife of the founder on him securing his WSET Diploma accreditation.

The wine is named after one of the founders of the winery and has been aged in barrel for between 3 and 18 months and in bottle for 5 years.

Truffles on the nose along with hints of oxidation and VA. Coal and baking spices on the palate. Somewhat porty.

The lineup

The Masterclass was revealing, from my perspective, in that it surfaced three separate styles of this variety in the marketplace: A thick, rich style that brings to mind Opus 1 (not unpleasant, by any stretch of the imagination); a leaner, more food-friendly style; and a style which, to me, is reminiscent of the Messorio Paleo Cabernet Franc (a Tuscan wine). With a few exceptions, the wines showed beautifully. This is a variety that has the potential to be a major player on the world stage.

At the conclusion of the Masterclass Karin showed a video of tributes from fellow #winelovers to the late Razvan Stonescu, organizer and host of this particular trip. At the conclusion of the video, Karin presented an Award of Appreciation to Razvan.

*Note: Pictures without captions were sourced from a community Whats App chat.

#MagicalDealuMare26

#WineloverAnniversary14

wineloverromania2026

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Masterclass of selected Dealu Mare (Muntenia, Romania) Feteascǎ Neagrǎ wines: The region and the variety

The #Winelover Group chose Romania as the venue for its 14th Anniversary Celebration and the single strongest, most organized community in the group -- Romania Winelovers -- made the arrangements that ensured the highest degree of success for the event. Under the leadership of the late Razvan Stonescu, this group put together a stellar program focused on the region and wines of Dealu Mare, one of the most-celebrated of the Romanian wine regions. 

And like Pheidippides -- who, after the victory at Marathon, undertook the run to share the news with the people of Athens -- Razvan left us at his high point. I intend to honor Razvan and his team, and the producers who shared their time with us, by reporting as extensively as possible on our experiences during the course of the celebration. 

The late Razvan Stonescu and his indomitable
spouse (Source: Iulian Grigorescu)

One of the events that was organized was a tasting of Feteascǎ Neagrǎ wines from Dealu Mare producers that we would not be able to visit during our time there. I will report on the wines and the tasting but begin herein with a description of the physical characteristics of the Dealu Mare wine region and a briefing on the variety.

The Dealu Mare Wine Region

The chart below is a representation of the region.

The chart shows the region extending over two political jurisdictions (Prahova and Buzāu) and having eight sub-regions. The physical dimensions are shown in the blue oblong. The grape growers -- along with their approximate physical locations -- are identified on the chart.

Based on archaeological evidence, grapes have been grown in the Dealu Mare region deep in prehistory. The first written reference to grapes and wines of the region can be traced back to the 14th and 15th centuries.

According to SERVE, Dealu Mare is one of the warmest wine-growing regions in Romania with a prominent continental influence characterized by:

• hot, dry summers
• long autumns
• Short, cold winters
• Day-night temperature differences which allow sugar accumulation without significant acid loss.
  

The vineyards are protected from cold winds emanating from the north, northeast, and northwest by the Carpathian Hills. During winter, temperatures are 3 degrees C higher in the Hills than on the Plains.

The chart below spells out the distribution of soils across the region.

The dominant soils are clayey-calcareous with marl, löess and gravel inclusions. These soils provide good drainage and balanced water-retention capacity, characteristics that are essential for successful cultivation of the Feteascǎ Neagrä variety (SERVE).

Feteascǎ Neagrǎ Variety

Feteascǎ Neagrǎ (translates to Black Maiden) is a thick-skinned, dark-purple grape variety which is believed to have originated in historic Moldavia but is today broadly planted in Romania with over 3400 ha of vineyard land dedicated to its support. Synonyms for the variety include: Schwarze Madchentraube, Poama Fata nera, Pasǎreascǎ nera, Coada radunicii, Fetyaska (Azerbaijan), Fetiaska neagra (Serbia) Fekete léanuke (Hungary), and Fetaska neagra (Bulgaria).

The variety is recognizable by its compact, cylindrical-spherical clusters; medium-to-large spherical berries; and dark purple skin. It is a late-ripener and, over a long growing season, can accumulate high sugar levels -- 230 to 240 g/l -- while retaining high levels of acidity.

The vine is vigorous but has low productivity -- on the order of 30%. It is resistant to frost, drought, and rot but is extremely susceptible to powdery mildew. Strategies employed to combat the threat include directing shoots and aerating rows. Roses are planted at the end of rows as an early warning system.

The soil types described in the section above are essential for Feteascǎ Neagrǎ cultivation (SERVE):

• The variety is sensitive to excess production and canopy humidity
• The wines cam become diluted in compact or overly fertile soils
• Concentrates polyphenols and develops a solid tannin structure in well-drained soils.

One of the key characteristics of the variety is its "plasticity." "It does not impose a uniform identity, but amplifies that of its place." While the generic profile is of a balanced, medium-to-full-bodied wine with fine tannins and aromas and flavors of plums, blackberries, blueberries, vanilla and coffee, "Banat carries a freshness that southern Mutenian examples rarely achieve ... Transylvania ... Feateascǎ Neagrǎ produces wines with livelier acidity and more clearly defined fruit."

Feteascǎ Neagrǎ requires (SERVE):

• Maturity of the plantation
• Strict yield control
• Careful canopy management
• Precise interventions at key moments of the season.

"In favorable years, Feteascǎ Neagrǎ from Dealu Mare develops high color density, structure, and real aging potential."

I will next turn to the producers and the wines.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Off the Beaten Path with Zoltan Szabo in Bucharest (Romania): Restaurant Casa Doina

We were all extremely pleased at the conclusion of the Romanian Wine Tasting at Wine With Me. The tasting had been insightful, impactful, entertaining, and educational and revealed the high-quality embodied in specific Romanian wines. 

But we were on an off-the-beaten-path quest so Zoltan, Daniel, and I took leave of our fellow tasters and headed off into the wild unknown. Zoltan was keeping the itinerary close to his vest so I generally found out where we were going when we got there. That schema was working so far so I was not concerned. We finally pulled up at Restaurant Casa Doina.

The structure housing the restaurant was originally the Romanian Pavilion at Paris' Universal Art Gallery of 1889. The design is a mashup of a Romanian aristocratic house of the period combined with Seville and Alhambran architectural elements. The architect, Ian Mincu, is considered to be one of the founders of the Romanian architectural style.

At the conclusion of the Paris show, the structure was recreated in Bucharest and named Bufetul de la Sosea (The Street Tavern) in 1892. The building is classified as an Architectural Monument. Restaurant Casa Doina has called it home since 2003.

Casa Doina combines traditional Romanian cuisine with robust international offerings in a beautiful garden setting in order to provide customers "the opportunity to enjoy exquisite meals" in a "picturesque outdoor environment." 

The setting was absolutely stunning as I wended my way through the gardens to our seat location. My head was on a swivel as my eyes feasted on the ambience.

After a quick perusal of the menu, we decided to go full Romanian. I folded up my menu and placed myself squarely in the hands of my tablemates. We began with a Starter Medley which, when it arrived, had me questioning my decision. It was huge. And it was only the starter. I was unsure as to whether I would be able to negotiate this dish and a main course as well. After a lot of bobbing and weaving, I was able to exit the starter phase with my dignity -- and a portion of my appetite -- intact. 

Zoltan described the main course thusly on his Facebook page:"My friend and I having tachiturǎ moldoveneascǎ with murǎturi and other tasty old school Romanian classics for lunch at the nicest and oldest, architecturally stunning Restaurant Casa Doina ..." If you know, you know. This dish was weighty.

According to Wikipedia, "Tochitura is a traditional Romanian and Moldovan dish made from pork cut into small cubes and cooked over a low fire in their own fat and juices, generally in a cast-iron pot. It is traditionally served with over-easy eggs and mǎmǎlugǎ (polenta) with or without tomato sauce and can also be made from beef, lamb or chicken. The traditional Romanian dish contains not only meat; it includes parts of the internal organs of the animal ... tied together. It is served with polenta and a salty sheep's cheese." Below is my example as served.

Tochiturǎ Moldoveneascǎ 

Murǎturi (Pickled vegetables)

During the course of the meal I was constantly regaled with stories of the history and geography of the foods that were in front of us, the wines that we were drinking, the country broadly speaking, the occupation period, etc. These guys were loads of fun.

Daniel, the Author, and Zoltan at Casa Doina

So Zoltan had promised me unique, off-the-beaten-track experiences. And he was delivering. But not only were these things/places off the beaten track, they were damn good. And we had just gotten started.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Off the Beaten Path with Zoltan Szabo in Bucharest (Romania): The wines tasted at Wine With Me

I have previously detailed the background of my "Off-the-Beaten-Path" excursion with Zoltan Szabo in Bucharest and the setting for our first event, a tasting at Wine With Me. I herein describe the wines and the tasting.

Once were were directed to our seats, Emil Popescu rolled out a map oh the Romanian wine regions and launched into a 10-minute discussion of same. This was, of course, mostly for my benefit as the other participants were all well-versed on the topic. He did a phenomenal job, by the way.

Emil Popescu, owner of Wine With Me,
kicking off the proceedings 

Once the the regional discussion was completed, Emil turned to the wines. I have prepared the following chart to show the population of wines that were on offer. The underlying map was sourced from crameromania.ro while the information on the wines were gleaned from producer websites. The websites that I visited were, with a few exceptions, rich with flowery language and historical allusions but vitiviniculturally poor. The may meet the cultural needs of the country but do not step up to the plate in terms of serving the wine-related information needs of a curious prospect.

A total of 14 wines were tasted: three sparkling, four whites, six reds, and one sweet. Eleven of the 14 wines had at least one stablemate included in the tasting. 

In describing the wine choices, Zoltan stated thusly:

Knowing that my guest will spend a couple of days in Dealu Mare, and will get to assess plenty of the mainstream-style wines, those ... tasted together are different ... they come from Crişana - Simleu Silvaniei and Tǎrnave in Transylvania, Silagiu in Banat, Drǎgǎșani in Oltenia, Cotnari in Moldova ... from cooler climatic zones, different terroirs altogether. 

Although there were two Dealu Mare estates in the lineup -- Dagon and Davino -- they do possess exquisite vineyard sites, higher up on the hills. I even showed a short video of the nearly 60-year-old Feteascǎ Albǎ wines of Dagon and the higher altitude positioning of Davino, the winery itself and the vineyards. The location of the vineyards and the source of the grapes in Dealu Mare are key factors; the higher up on the hillside, the better, obviously, as there is much greater drainage of both water and air.

I must point out that even though only two Dealu Mare producers were included in the tasting, they provided four of the 14 wines, more than a quarter of the total tasting.

Sparkling Wines

The Sparkling wines tasted are illustrated below. Tasting notes in this, and the following sections, are Zoltan's take on the wines.

Podgoria Silvania classic method 2020 Blanc de Blanc and 2023 Cuvée Brut Nature. Zoltan saw both of these wines as "truly impressive." He continues, "The progress and evolution of quality that I have witnessed at this estate in the last 7 - 8 years  is admirable ..."

He saw the Casa de Vinuri Cotnari Grasǎ de Cotnari 2018 Brut as "opulent and refined" with the 5 years on the lees adding structure and depth.

This was the first time I had tasted the Grasǎ de Cotnari and I found myself more attuned to the Silvania wines. I have tasted a number of Sparkling wines around the world that use the traditional method and the traditional grapes and these wines were not dissimilar in quality to their peers. 

White Wines

The white wines are pictured below.

The Dagon Estate 2024 Via Secretǎ is made from Feteascǎ Alba -- and old Romanian indigenous variety -- grown on clay terraces. Dagon is itself a boutique winery specializing in small-batch productions. Zoltan found this wine to be 'very pretty, fresh, and succulent."

 

Avincis had three wines in the tasting, one white and two reds. The white was the 2024 Crǎmpoşie Selecționatǎ, a wine made from a hybrid of the same name with its origins in the Crǎmposie and Gordan varieties. The wine was "great in its simplicity and individuality. Firm and zesty and highly food versatile."

Diamant 2021 is the fruit of the labor of Crama Villa Vinèa, a two-decades-old enterprise located in the town of Mica in the heart of the broader Transylvania region. The wine is a barrel-aged blend of Feteascǎ Alba and Feteascǎ Regala and was viewed as Burgundian, more specifically, Meursault-like, by Zoltan. I concurred with his Burgundian assessment and sought to nudge him over to Puligny-Montrachet territory. The best of the whites for me.

The Dagon Estate 2023 Clearstone is made from Feteascǎ Alba grapes grown on 40-year-old vines sited on 0.9 ha of limestone-rich hillside soils. According to Zoltan, "complex, a textbook (reference) of the variety."

Zoltan in awe of the wines on offer

Red Wines

The Avincis reds (we encountered the white previously) were the 2023 Alutus Primus Vila Dobruşa and the 2023 Negru de Drǎgǎşani, both wines the product of variety crosses. The Alutus Primus is a cross between the Romanian variety Bǎbeascǎ Neagra and the Georgian Saperavi while the Negru de Drǎgǎşani is a cross between Negru Vartos and Saperavi or Bǎbeascǎ Neagra.The Alutus Primus was "smoky, inky, and fairly powerful" while he loved the Negru de Drǎgǎşani because "it reminded him of a southern Rhone Syrah and Grenache blend."

The Casa de Vinuri Cotnari 2022 Castel Vlǎdoianu is a 100% Feteascǎ Neagrǎ wine whose gentle extraction was manifested in "cool climate elegance and balance and juicy acidity."

Agape artǎ&naturǎ is a boutique winery which utilizes biodynamic techniques in its farming and winemaking practices. Its 2022 Vorba is a Feteascǎ Neagrǎ which Zoltan tabs as being in possession of "finesse and purity" and being "Pinot-esque." It was one of his favorite wines.

The Dagon Estate Got Merlot 2020 is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% old vine Feteascǎ Neagrǎ, with the Merlot drawn from the "best bunches from sandy parts of the vineyard." This practice is at odds with the best Merlot wines of the world which tend to be grown on clay-dominant soils. Zoltan saw this as a "blockbuster" and beating "many of the California counterparts." Rather than California, I think that, after the Right Bank of Bordeaux, the standard shifts to Italian Merlots, with Tuscany and Friuli being especially relevant. Merlot is my favorite red grape but this wine needs to "body up" and lengthen its finish in order to compete with non-Masseto, non-Miani Merlots. 

The Davino Flamboyant 2016 was the wine of the tasting for me. Everything about this estate cooks. Its website is a fount of information, material relevant to someone seeking to understand the physical environment within which the grapes are grown, the characteristics of the estate, and its winemaking process. Right there. In the open for all to see.

This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (20%) and Feteascǎ Neagrǎ (10%). The wine is aged for 30 months in 88% new Romanian oak barrels. Zoltan saw it as "just like a terrific Super Tuscan but even better." I loved the body, the aromas, the flavors, and the length. Fresh and palate-enveloping with many, many more years in the tank.

Sweet Wine

The single sweet wine in the tasting was Casa de Vinuri Cotnari 2018 Grasǎ de Cotnari Vinoteca. This wine is made from the Grasǎ de Cotnari grape. I found this wine to be highly aromatic, and rich and tasty on the palate. Zoltan: "Harmonious and tasty. Just lovely. Among the best late harvest wines in Europe."

Reflections

Beautifuly organized and effectively executed tasting. First off, there were no dogs among these wines. Extremely high quality wines that encourages the further exploration of the country's offerings. My favorite wine overall was the Davino Flamboyant and I was shocked at the relatively low cost-to-value ratio associated with this offering (and the ratio was similarly unbalanced for all of the other wines in the tasting). In other words, Romanian wines, at least the ones in this tasting, are good value purchases.

The participation from the peanut gallery was robust and energizing. The discussions accompanying each tasted wine were insightful and lent heft and enjoyment to the proceedings. "Twas a credit to Zoltan that he was able to get the quality of wine available at such short notice and such a heavyweight group together to participate.

During the course of the tasting, Zoltan called each of the producers and, with one exception, they answered his calls. The person who did not answer initially called back within 10 minutes. So not only were we able to taste their wines real time, we were able to listen to their explanations as to what they were trying to accomplish with each of the offerings and to ask them questions. Flex.

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