Fetească Neagră is an old red grape that is likely indigenous to the Moldavia region in both Moldova and Romania. It spread west to Transylvania (the home of Bran Castle and the real Dracula, Vlad the Impaler). Fetească Neagră translates to ‘black young girl’. The vines are resistant to cold temperatures, down to -8℉, allowing it to survive during winter deep freezes. During the Soviet Union occupation, vines were mostly abandoned. Once the Republic of Moldova gained independence in 1991, growers could slowly start to reestablish vineyards. Most of the larger producers planted later in the 2000s. Fetească Neagră vines are also planted in Romania and Ukraine.
This week I drank a 2021 Cricova Fetească Neagră from Moldova that I picked up from a local Ukrainian grocery store. Cricova is one of the most well known wineries in Moldova. They also have the second largest wine cave in the world, extending over 75 miles! These caves housed a main supply of wine for the USSR during the mid 20th century. They even have a mini train for tours of the facility for tastings. The winery has hosted many notable world leaders, including Angela Merkel, Biden, and Putin. It also houses the collection of the Nazi leader Hermann Göring. His 2000 bottle collection are largely bottles confiscated from areas that were under Nazi occupation in the 1940s and includes bottles of Bordeaux, Chablis, Port and Tokaj. The bottles not consumed by Soviet Soldiers were brought here for further bottle aging and have remained here because Göring committed suicide in Nuremberg following the ruling that he was to be put to death for his crimes during WWII. Vladimir Putin also has a collection here.
The wine I drank this week is a deep ruby color. When the glass is swirled, the color lightly stains the bowl of the glass. It has aromas of fresh and dried blackberries, blueberries, black cherry, vanilla and dried rose petals. This dry full bodied wine is high in tannin and alcohol. These components are balanced with bright acidity. The black fruit notes are vibrant on the palate then give way to dried fruit character on the lengthy finish. This wine could bottle age further but is drinking well now! It reminds me of a more tannic Malbec and would pair well with the same foods, like grilled steak, hard cheeses, or beef stew.
-TheLooseTannin
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