{"id":15009,"date":"2020-07-09T08:20:11","date_gmt":"2020-07-09T08:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/?p=15009"},"modified":"2020-07-09T08:46:27","modified_gmt":"2020-07-09T08:46:27","slug":"atu-winery-finds-its-trump-card-codrinschii-variety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/atu-winery-finds-its-trump-card-codrinschii-variety\/","title":{"rendered":"ATU winery finds its \u201ctrump card\u201d – Codrinschii variety"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ATU\nyoung winery was the first to produce a wine from the new grape variety of\nMoldovan selection named Codrinschii, thus paving its way to the world. Most\nlikely, the wine will become the calling card of this winery, as Codrinschii\nwill be primarily associated with it. For almost half a century, this variety\nhas been waiting for two young people to believe in it. What are the qualities\nof Codrinschii and who these enthusiasts are? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The\nson of the king of red varieties <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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This variety was created by Valentina Vedeneeva in the Selection Department of the Moldovan Institute of Research in Viticulture and Winemaking, by having crossed the old local variety Rara Neagr\u0103 with Cabernet Sauvignon. Codrinschii was planted in an ampelographic collection of the Institute\u2019s varieties, being registered in 1967. The oenologists of the Institute started to study it only in 1980. Subsequently, small experimental plots of Codrinschii were planted in the centre and south of the country. During the period 2009-2017, the oenologists of the Institute have been studying the particularities of processing this variety and developed a technology that enabled maximum extraction of phenolic and colouring substances from must. In dry wines produced from Codrinschii, the content of anthocyanins, which give the wine its red colour, is similar to the one in Merlot. Its titratable acidity is higher compared to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines. Last year, the wine of this new variety was placed on the market for the first time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have produced our first wine from Codrinschii grapes, grown in the south of Moldova, in a small peasant enterprise,\u201d Vlada Balica, Director and Co-owner of the winery, said. – The vine was planted more than 20 years ago. As ATU is a new brand on the market, and Codrinschii is not a well-known variety, we did not dare to propose a varietal wine, not knowing what the reaction of customers would be. Thus, we decided to produce a blend of Codrinschii (70%) and Saperavi (30%). Nonetheless, the wine was very well received. In fact, an unknown variety attracts the consumers\u2019 attention and arouses their curiosity. Therefore, we will endeavour producing varietal wine from Codrinschii grapes, using the 2019 vintage.\u201d <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Frankly\nspeaking, it is surprising that the local winemakers have not discovered it yet.\nIf its French \u2018father\u2019 is a King, and its \u2018mother\u2019 is a sweet Moldovan Lady,\nthen their son would undoubtedly be a Prince. Codrinschii has a great potential\nfor the production of quality wines and, of course, can beautify the offer of\nMoldovan winemakers to the world to uncork. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ATU Saperavi & Codrinschii, 2018<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The\nwine was bottled in May 2019, prior to that being kept in bottles for one year.\nIt has a rich ruby colour. I poured the wine into two glasses: one \u2013 for a standard\ntasting (filled up to the wide part of the glass), and the second (filled just\na little bit) \u2013 for comparison, putting it aside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nfirst glass, the first nose – overripe sweet black berries. Pure flavour of\nberries – black currant, blackberries, plums, crushed pomegranate, black sour cherries,\nthen come the notes of black currants with sugar and tree bark. 30-40 minutes\nlater I enjoyed the flavour of the second glass. It is very interesting that\nthe amount of wine pour also matters, as I found spice flavours in that \u201cjust a\nlittle bit.\u201d Shades of vanilla, distinct aroma of freshly grinded black pepper,\nhints of ginger and nutmeg could be traced. This is unbelievable, as the\nproducer mentioned, the wine had not come into contact with oak wood. The\nalcohol content is 13.5%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ATU\nSaperavi & Codrinschii 2018 is a young wine and will keep its freshness thanks\nto its high acidity. Still it has passed malolactic fermentation, it has a\nslightly astringent taste, with shades of coffee and bitter dark chocolate,\nwhich passes into a long aftertaste. Its texture is silky, but the tannins are\nstill \u201cnaughty.\u201d I guess a quality barrel would have made a perfect choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ATU\nSaperavi & Codrinschii 2018 won the gold medal at Mundus Vini Spring\nTasting 2020 international competition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And\nnow from the barrel…<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As\nCodrinschii is still just an exciting experiment for the producer, the main\nwinemaker and co-owner of ATU, Victor Vutc\u0103r\u0103u, decided to let half of the wine\nproduct mature in new Romanian Carpathian oak barrels to assess this variety\u2019s\nageing potential, because it is unknown yet. Saperavi has also undergone\nmaturation. The wine was bottled 12 months later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\nhad the opportunity to taste ATU Saperavi & Codrinschii barrique 2018 before\nits release. It should be noted that after bottling the wine is stressed and\nneeds a few months to recover. Therefore, the assessment I make of this wine\nrefers specifically to that time. After two or three months, the wine\u2019s organoleptic\ncharacteristics will further improve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its\ncolour is darker than that of its brother, closer to sour cherry colour. There\nare dense legs on the sides of the glass. The first nose – less intense aroma\nof black berries, shaded by spices. Mature wine needs time to breathe, so it\ncan be aerated\/decanted. The notes of berries are somewhat mitigated in its\nbouquet. Among the aromas mentioned above, that of tree bark is more clearly\ndistinguished. Instead of crushed pomegranate, pomegranate peel appeared, as\nwell as hints of coffee beans, a light morocco shade. When the glass contained only\ntwo more sips distinct glimpses of burnt wood could be traced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maturation\nwas undoubtedly to the benefit of the wine’s taste. It has become softer, with\na silky texture, revealing a juicy taste of sour cherries and black currants.\nIn the long aftertaste one could feel a bitter taste of dried sour cherries,\nthen the taste of dark chocolate. With no doubt, this wine will get its true\nplace. In general, the maturation was very delicate, which is the sole merit of\nthe winemaker.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\ntotal of 1,700 bottles of ATU Saperavi & Codrinschii 2018 and the same\nquantity of ATU Saperavi & Codrinschii barrique 2018 were produced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How\nmuch does it cost?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This\nwine can be bought for 170 lei\/bottle either online, visiting the winemaker\u2019s\nwebsite, or in situ, at the winery. During the crisis associated with the\ncoronavirus pandemic, it is on sale for a discount price of 150 lei. The\npartners sell it for about 200 lei\/bottle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ATU\nSaperavi & Codrinschii barrique 2018 will be sold by the producer for about\n200 lei\/bottle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

In\nthe wine.md wine shop and tasting room, at the Em-bar-go and Carpe Diem wine\nbars and in Vincuvin.shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\nare the \u201ctrumps\u201d?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The name of the winery – \u201cATU\u201d – comes from the word \u201catout,\u201d which means \u201ctrumps\u201d in Romanian and French, Vlada Balica explained. – In a figurative sense – it\u2019s about what makes you different from others. What is your trump? Our trump is that our company – East Euro Vitis – has a vine nursery. We also produce vine cuttings; therefore, we have a full production cycle – from cuttings to wine. In other countries, many vine nurseries also have their own wine. In such a way, they demonstrate the quality of the cuttings. We also embraced that approach. After tasting the wine, many of our customers decide to establish their own vineyard with that variety. Starting the next year, we intend to produce Codrinschii vine cuttings and plant a vineyard of this variety.\u201d <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Along\nwith the logical continuation of the business, the launch of the wine\nproduction also stemmed from Victor’s passion for winemaking. Every autumn, he used\nto make his own homemade wine and proudly offered it to his friends, who\nenjoyed it, praised it and kept telling him: \u201cYou have to set up your own\nwinery.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2016, the spouses Vlada Balica and Victor Vutcarau started the construction. In October 2017, the first ATU wines entered the market. Within a year, they managed to export some wine to Romania. Nowadays, they supply it to Germany and China. The first delivery to Japan is on its way in June. At the same time, negotiations are underway with one of the Scandinavian countries. So far, the winery produced 30,000 bottles of wine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead\nof a fish, they were given a fishing rod<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

At the beginning, we intended to make certain investments – Vlada recalled. – But our endeavours to create something original – both a winery and a product – were noticed by the Moldova Competitiveness Project (funded by USAID and the Swedish Government), and it provided us with development assistance. The aid was channelled into different directions. Initially, the Project helped us buy three stainless steel tanks, then gave advice on branding issues. As we had so many questions about the winemaking technology, MCP together with the National Office for Vine and Wine, rendered us consulting services throughout a year, as part of a mentoring programme. The well-known winemaker Vitalie B\u0103b\u0103nu\u021b\u0103 was our consultant. The donors purchased some furniture made specifically for the wine bar and tasting room to help us develop the hospitality component. To this end, we conducted an urban culture festival and invited graffiti artists, giving them the opportunity to create. The winery exterior walls are also the outcomes of their work. In the spring of 2019, we hosted the first tourists.\u201d   <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Overall,\nthe financial support provided by the Moldova Competitiveness Project accounts\nfor 30% of the total amount of investments in the ATU wine business. In\naddition, the winery makes use of a bottling and capping machine, purchased by the\ndonors for the Association of Small Producers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to funding, the guidance on investments, on the right field to invest, provided by the Project experts, was extremely important, the winery Director mentioned. – For example, in terms of branding, we received guidance about the steps we needed to take regarding these services, what achievements we should expect. In fact, they taught us how to fish. And we can witness the results of this collaboration. With the MCP and NOVW support, we take part in international exhibitions and competitions, and this helps us grow as a producer and as a brand. <\/strong><\/p>

For us, winemaking has become our lifestyle. It gives us pleasure, as well as status, as it has brought so many interesting people into our lives. Since the time we built the winery, we have got more acquaintances and new friends, acquired new interests, and our life has become more intense.\u201d <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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