A new wine has appeared on the Moldovan market from Doina Vin within the series Perla Neagră – this is Chardonnay, 2016 IGP Codru (with protected geographical indication Codru) Limited Edition.
Marketeers „stand aside”
The series Perla Neagră was conceived for red blends, aged in barrels.
But nature has made its own adjustments to the plans of Doina Vin marketeers. In 2016, on one of the plots the winemaker harvested Chardonnay grapes of late harvest. The berries of grapes were very sweet, therefore during the fermentation the alcohol content reached 14%, at this point the grape sugars stopped the fermentation. The result was a wine with natural residual sugar (semisweet).
It’s unknown when it will be possible to make such a wine again. That is why the winemaker decided that it is destined to be included in the series – Perla Neagră.
What’s in the glass?
High alcohol is not at all felt in wine, since the three components of wine – sugar, alcohol and acidity – are well balanced. To enjoy all the qualities of this wine, it is better to cool it to a temperature of about 12 – 14 оС.
Perla Neagră Chardonnay, 2016 has a bright yellow color, characteristic for sweet wines, with golden reflections. First aroma is of a linden color. Floral aromas develop into notes of yellow apples, sugar candies, lemon peel; light warm aromas of tropical fruits and cinnamon also appear.
The taste is full, harmonious, with moderate sweetness, despite the fact that the wine is semisweet. This is the advantage of wines with natural residual sugar, in contrast to those produced from dry wine with the addition of sugar. Natural sugar does not force the taste; it only gives the wine softness and roundness. This wine has a silky texture, enveloping your mouth with its „tastefulness”. In the taste, there are nuances of yellow apples and vanilla, in the long aftertaste its vanilla notes are felt even stronger.
In my opinion, this wine goes well with „blue” cheeses, as well as with baked apples desserts (apple pie, charlotte, apple strudel, Moldavian apple “placinte”).
Why Perla Neagră?
The winemaker named its premium wines Perla Neagra (Black pearl in Romanian) to highlight their rarity.
A Chinese myth tells about the origin of black pearls as follows: one day a terrible battle between dragons took place. The sky was lit by lightning, spewed by the dragons, clouds got thicker and a terrible thunderstorm began. It started raining, and the drops were black pearls. On the label’s white background there is a black pearl and a fire-breathing dragon as well.
About Doina Vin
Its history began in 1875, when the Polish boyar Dimanovich crafted wine from the first harvest in the cellars in Razeni village (now – Ialoveni district). In 1993 the company Doina Vin was created. Since 1995, Doina Vin has invested in planting of vineyards and renewing the equipment. In 2000, the company became one of the largest Moldovan wine exporters to Western Europe, the main market for its products being Germany. Currently, Doina Vin owns 200 hectares of vineyards. Doina Vin is mainly export-oriented, but in the summer 2017 they launched their wines on the Moldovan market too.
P.S. You can buy Perla Neagră Chardonnay, 2016 IGP Codru in stores for 120 MDL. A total of 20 thousand bottles of this wine were produced. Due it’s high content of sugar and alcohol, it can be well stored. I think that in a year or two it will pleasantly surprise you. Most important is to correctly store the wine bottle (in a horizontal position and in a cool, dark place).
