Artitude Rose de Merlot 2017 by Doina Vin won a gold medal at Challenge International du Vin 2018, a very prestigious competition, which was held on April 21-22 in Bordeaux, France. This wine had to compete with more than 4 thd. samples from 38 countries. Moreover, the guests at the Arvinis exhibition in Switzerland (April 25-30) also praised Artitude Rose de Merlot 2017. Therefore, I think we should pay attention to this wine.
Artitude – Wine and Art
The bottle has a distinct label design. It contains a reproduction of a picture from a Moldovan artist. Mihaela Lungu interpreted the national motifs in an original way – a carpet with figures of peasants, a haystack, a rural house. Artitude series are designed to promote not only the wine that relates to the art of winemaking, but also the Moldovan fine arts. The labels from the 2015 vintage contained a reproduction of the painting by Olesea Caus, while those from the 2016 vintage had a reproduction of Mihai Ungureanu’s painting.
A new artwork is selected for every vintage. Doina Vin announces an open competition and those interested can apply with their works. The winning painting is selected to decorate a range of high-quality wines in a certain year.
Winemarkers’ craftmanship
Artitude Rose de Merlot 2017 is made from the highest quality grapes. The wine color is very elegant, pink. It is obtained via a technological method, which is not often used in the production of rosé wines.
Elizaveta Breahna is an expert winemaker of the National Office of Vine and Wine (NOVW), who consulted Doina Vin’s technologists within the Small and Medium Enterprise Support Project (implemented by the NOVW and the Moldova Competitiveness Project). She explained what makes this wine special. The grapes were collected at the manufacturer’s own plantations near the village of Razeni. After mashing, the berries were not pressed, but placed in a container, from which the juice was flowing under the weight of the grapes and under constant supervision of the winemaker.
The grape juice was selected so that the color is light pink. Further on, the fermentation was carried out at a temperature of 16-18°C. In that way, the fruity and floral aromas were better expressed in the wine. The wine turned out to be stable, so was no need for further treatment, but filtration. This allowed for better preservation of aromas.
What was the result?
After pouring the wine in the glass, its walls are covered with small bubbles, although the wine is still. The first nose is fruity. Further notes of candy (which quickly recede), strawberry jam foam, wild strawberries, cherry plum, blackberries, rosehip flowers and a nuance of figs unfold.
Artitude Rose de Merlot 2017 leaves long legs on the glass since it has a lot of natural glycerin, which makes for a silky taste. At the same time, it has a pleasant acidity, on the background of cherry stone. This is also kept in the finish.
The Artitude range will include another rosé wine – Cabernet Sauvignon from 2017 with protected geographical indication Codru. In a few days, the wines will enter the Moldovan market and are also being exported to Germany, Romania and China.
The Best Match for Artitude Rose de Merlot
Salmon dish would be the ideal pairing, they are even close in color. You could also match it with pastries. However, it is better to avoid desserts with fresh fruits, including cakes, as the taste in such a pairing may seem sour.
