Novak Rară Neagră 2021
Novak is a young Moldovan winery headed by winemaker Andrey Novak. He has his vineyards in the south of Moldova near the towns of Comrat, Tartaul and Ciobalaccia. Where his father grew the grapes for bulk wines, Andrey wants to make his own wines on a relatively small scale. It distinguishes itself from other Moldovan wineries by mainly focusing on (forgotten) native grape varieties. He has since bottled several wines made from forgotten Moldovan varieties and thus has breathed new life into them.
| Country | Moldova |
| Region | Cahul |
| Protected Designation of Origin | Geen |
| Wine maker | Novak Winery |
| Grape varieties | 100% Rară Neagră |
| Terroir | The vineyards are located between the villages of Cantemir and Comrat, in southwestern Moldova. They lie on a bottom of black earth with a lot of lime and loam. It has a continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. The vineyards are cooled by the river Prut that separates Romania and Moldova and by the nearby forests of Tighechi Codru. |
| Harvest method | The grapes have been harvested manually in October. |
| Yield per hectare | 1 tons per hectare. |
| Vinification | The grapes are destemmed and pressed and then fermented in steel tanks and have undergone a malolactic fermentation after normal fermentation. |
| Impression | This wine is fruit-driven. Blackcurrant, ripe plum and spice on the nose. Slightly smoky. Smooth in the mouth. Not heavy, hardly any tannins. Lots of ripe berry fruit. Generous and soft. |
| Sealing | Schroefdop |
| Did you know? | Rară Neagră means 'rare black'. This grape is only found in Moldova and in some vineyards in eastern Romania. There they call him Băbească Neagră. |