{"id":14079,"date":"2020-03-02T13:04:24","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T13:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/?p=14079"},"modified":"2020-03-02T13:08:36","modified_gmt":"2020-03-02T13:08:36","slug":"minis-terrios-fairytale-wines-by-dan-prisacaru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/minis-terrios-fairytale-wines-by-dan-prisacaru\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00abMinis Terrios\u00bb: fairytale wines by Dan Prisacaru"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The collection created under the \u00abMinis Terrios\u00bb brand includes three wines that send us to the world of fairytales. First appeared \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>Ro\u0219u \u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb, 2015<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, named after a character from \u00abPovestea lui Harap Alb\u00bb (\u00abThe Story of the White Moor\u00bb) by Ion Creanga, the \u00abRed Emperor\u00bb. In 2016, \u00abNegru \u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb wine was created; if there is Ro\u0219u (red), then why not Negru (black), too. In 2018, \u00abHarap Alb\u00bb (the white moor) was born, as a hero from the same tale. The vintner tried to create the characters of these wines to match their names. \u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u00abRo\u0219u \u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb, 2017<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The first wine, \u00abRo\u0219u\n\u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb, 2015 (Feteasca Neagr\u0103, Rara Neagr\u0103, Cabernet Sauvignon)  was a success and it was quickly sold out.\nBut, despite the seemingly guaranteed sales for the following harvest – 2016,\nDan Prisacaru decided not to produce such a wine that year, because he did not\nhave Feteasca neagr\u0103 grapes (the winemaker outsources the first two varieties\nof this blend).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2017, I bought Feteasca Neagr\u0103 grapes, but decided not to use anymore Rara Neagr\u0103 grapes, as this variety is very moody, and replaced it with Merlot, says the author of the wine. The proportions are almost the same, as the first time: Feteasca Neagr\u0103 – 56%, Merlot – 32%, Cabernet Sauvignon – 12%. The raw wine of Feteasca Neagr\u0103 and Cabernet Sauvignon aged together in oak barrel for 12 months, and Merlot for 14 months. 35% of barrels were new, the rest of them were at the second and third fill. I only use French oak it is very expensive, but very good. In 2015, I experimented with one barrel of Krasnodar oak, but the tannins were too aggressive after aging in it, although its volume was 400 liters, not 225. Therefore, I prefer French oak. All components of the assemblage went through malolactic fermentation. We produced a total of 2800 bottles. \u00abRo\u0219u \u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb, 2017 was exported to Japan, Denmark, Lithuania, Germany and China\u00bb. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The wine was bottled in\nApril 2019, but it was quickly sold out. Hurry to buy the last bottles available\non the domestic market.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The wine is deep\nruby\u200b\u200b. I recommend decanting. After 30 minutes, I poured from the decanter.\nThick legs flow down the sides of the glass. The wine bouquet contains aromas\nof bitter black wild cherries, dried plums, black pepper, dried cherries, black\ncurrants, jam. I\u2019ve left it to breathe in the decanter: aromas of violet, blackthorn,\nnotes of eucalyptus, some cinnamon and vanilla have appeared in the bouquet. It\nis beautifully showing up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wine has a lively\nacidity, middle body, mature tannins. After the decanter, it became very soft. In\nthe taste: cherries; finish – cherry pits. In the aftertaste \u2013 shades of chocolate.\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abNegru \u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb, 2017 <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A Bordeaux blend, proportion\nof Merlot – 50% and Cabernet Sauvignon – 50%, same as in \u00abNegru \u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb, 2016.\nGrapes were grown in own vineyard, the vines were planted in 2007, managed to\ngrow stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two grape varieties were processed separately and underwent through malolactic fermentation, Dan Prisacaru says. Differently from the previous harvest, this wine was aged in oak barrels longer, but there were fewer new barrels. While in 2016 the share of new barrels was 75%, in 2017 – only 35%. Therefore, the aging of the first wine lasted 12 months, and of the second – 14 months. As a result, wines slightly differ in alcohol content – 14.8% and 14.3%, respectively (14% is written on the label). \u00abNegru \u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb, 2016 has already been sold out, and the sale of 2017 vintage has just started (bottling took place in \u00a0August 2019 and 5300 bottles were produced) and exports to Denmark and China have already been arranged\u00bb. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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The wine is dark ruby and\nit leaves thick and heavy slow legs on the sides of the glass. The first nose delivered\nripe black berries. After that, I poured the wine into a decanter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you pour the wine\ninto a glass immediately after decanting, you can feel leather aromas and\nearthy shades. In an empty glass, there are animal shades, then berries appear\nand afterwards sweet vanilla. I came back to this glass three hours later by\nchance (to wash it) and discovered in it a pleasant smell of hot chocolate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I left the wine to\nbreathe in the decanter. After an hour in the decanter, dried plum notes\nopened, two hours later dried cherry, three hours later soft scents of mint,\ndry tobacco leaves, then black pepper appeared. Four hours later black tea\naromas. Such an interesting evolution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wine has a lively\nacidity. It is still young, with perky tannins and an average body. In the\ntaste (after three hours of decantation) there is a slight astringency, cherry\nnotes which turn into notes of cherry pits. In the aftertaste shades of dark\nchocolate. Grilled steak would match well with \u00abNegru\n\u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb, 2017.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This wine could be left\naside to age for a couple of years in a nice cool cellar, if you manage to buy\nit, of course. Dan could have left it for bottle aging and sell it more\nexpensive two years later. But for a small producer it\u2019s hard to freeze funds\nfor a long time, so he sells everything on the go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abHarap Alb, 2018\u00bb <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It was first Dan’s\nexperience with Blanc de Noirs. The name of the fairytale character (Harap Alb\n– White Moor) gave the idea – white from black. Red grape varieties (with black\nberries), Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) and Feteasca Neagr\u0103 (15%), gave birth to the\nwhite wine \u00abHarap Alb\u00bb, 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This wine made its\ndebut at the spring edition of the \u00abWine Vernissage 2019\u00bb, it even did not have\na label yet. In August, it participated in \u00abMundus Vini Summer Tasting` 2019\u00bb\ncompetition and won a silver medal. At the winter edition of the \u00abWine Vernissage\n2019\u00bb, the last bottles were poured into the glasses of the guests. It is no\nlonger on sale. In total, less than 3 thousand bottles were produced. \u00abHarap\nAlb\u00bb, 2018 was sold in Moldova and exported to Japan and Denmark.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cabernet Sauvignon and Feteasca Neagr\u0103 grapes were processed separately. They aged for two months with batonnage. The alcohol content in the wine was 12.5% \u200b\u200b and the acidity – 6.2 g\/l. Those who like this wine will have to wait until February, when the next vintage will be bottled. In 2019, we produced \u00abHarap Alb\u00bb from the same varieties and in the same proportion\u201d, the winemaker explained.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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The wine is light\nyellow with a slight peach tint. The thick legs on the sides of the glass\nindicate a good body coming from the red grape varieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first nose delivers\nwhite fruits. In the bouquet: apricot, white flowers (lilac), gooseberries, some\nnotes of citrus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abHarap Alb\u00bb, 2018 has good\nintensity, with a pleasant acidity in the taste, in which shades of fresh,\ndense, not quite ripe apricot and summer apple are guessed. In the long aftertaste\n– apricot kernels. An interesting wine in which red varieties were processed as\nwhite, an intrigue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where to buy it?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In Chi\u0219in\u0103u wine shops, \u00abVincuvin\u00bb online store, \u00ab\u21161\u00bb hypermarket, \u00abFourchette\u00bb supermarkets and \u00abRogob\u00bb chain.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abFamilia mea\u00bb<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u00abMinis Terrios\u00bb wines\nwere produced at a small winery in Chi\u0219in\u0103u, founded in\n2013 by Dan and Diana Prisacaru (at the beginning, the company was called \u00abDivib\nMedia\u00bb, now – Familia mea). One year earlier, they had completed their master\u2019s\ndegree studies in Dijon (France). They used to buy grapes when they started, but\nthen they acquired 15 hectares of vineyards in the Harag\u00e2\u0219 village in Cantemir district, including 5 hectares of\ntechnical varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were planted in 2007,\nSauvignon Blanc – in 2008. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, this small\nbusiness, like the rest of members of the Association of Small Wine Producers,\ndoes not have enough resources of its own, therefore it enjoys the support\nprovided to these entrepreneurs by the \u00abMoldova Competitiveness Project\u00bb\n(funded by USAID and the Government of Sweden). \u00abFamilia mea\u00bb was provided a \u00abBucher\nVaslin\u00bb press, as a grant. From the mobile equipment acquired by the \u00abMoldova\nCompetitiveness Project\u00bb to be shared by the small wineries – members of the\nAssociation of Small Winemakers, this company uses more frequently the bottle\ncapping machine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The support also includes\nmarketing activities, such as collective participation of small producers in\nvarious exhibitions and competitions. Sending samples to international\ncompetitions is an expensive pleasure, but thanks to the sponsorship provided\nby the National Office of Vine and Wine and the \u00abMoldova Competitiveness\nProject\u00bb, the wines of Dan Prisacaru have participated\nin competitions and won medals. The wines \u00abRo\u0219u \u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb and \u00abNegru \u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb from\nthe previous harvests have won gold medals in Germany and Romania. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The collection created under the \u00abMinis Terrios\u00bb brand includes three wines that send us to the world of fairytales. First appeared \u00abRo\u0219u \u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb, 2015, named after a character from \u00abPovestea…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13535,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"\u00abMinis Terrios\u00bb: fairytale wines by Dan Prisacaru - Wine and Spirits","description":"The collection created under the \u00abMinis Terrios\u00bb brand includes three wines that send us to the world of fairytales. First appeared \u00ab Ro\u0219u \u00cemp\u0103rat\u00bb, 2015 , name"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[400],"tags":[2579,2582,2581,2580],"class_list":["post-14079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wines-en","tag-minis-terrios-wines","tag-wine-harap-alb","tag-wine-negru-imparat","tag-wine-rosu-imparat"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14079"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14079\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14082,"href":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14079\/revisions\/14082"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}