In 2022, a Moldovan wine called Negre, from FAUTOR WINERY was awarded as the best red wine in the world at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB), during the "Red & White" Session.
What this dry red wine brought differently than the other 5000 red wines from wine regions around the world?
Clearly Negre wine had few distinctive features:
- produced from autochtonous grapes: Fetească Neagră and Rară Neagră
- grapes were cultivated in the Valul lui Traian PGI area (Moldova)
- the mastery of Fautor winemakers
As we've explored the Rară Neagră grape in our earlier edition, I would like to invite you to discover now Fetească Neagră.
Origins and geographic presence
The origins of Fetească Neagră are unclear, even though some ampelographs have tried to track it from different local or international grapes. Certainly, the variety was born in eastern part of Romania (the medieval principality of Moldavia), along the Prut River.
The grape has different other names, such as: Coada Răndunicii, Coada Rindunicei, Coada Rindunicii, Coada Rindunicu, Păsărească, Păsărească Neagră, Poamă Fetei Neagră, Poama Rândunicii, Black Maiden Grape (Moldova, Romania); Feteasca Chernaya, Pasaryanska Chernaya (Russia); Fetyaska Chernaya (Ukraine); Fetyaska Black.
The grape variety is extremely resistant to the drought, rot and cold. The noble vines grow mainly on sunny slopes, and regular thinning and rejuvenation cuts are necessary develop particularly strong extract values, as the yield is very low.
The Wine-Searcher analysis has rightly mentioned that "Fetească Neagră largely disappeared from its Moldovan home during the Soviet era, though it continued to be cultivated in Romania with focus remaining in the east of the country". Nowadays, there is more and more desire and focus to rehabilitate the grape in Moldova.
In Romania, the grape is cultivated in Moldova, Oltenia, Muntenia, Dobrogea regions, accounting for close to 3000 hectares (~85% from total vineyards of Fetească Neagră). Other countries were the variety is grown are: Moldova (400 ha), Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Russia.
Wine styles and aromas
Fetească Neagră grape can deliver a marvelous red wine, with a deep ruby color and great texture. Usually, it can be produced as a dry wine, but wine producers look for semi-dry and sweet wines as well. Wine estates try to produce more a varietal wine from it, even though few blends with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Saperavi are of great success.
About the Fetească Neagră wines, we received few valuable insights from Andrei Popa, a well-known Romanian sommelier and owner of Dor de Vin, and will re-produce them below, describing Fetească Neagră wine produced in Romania.
Aurelia Vișinescu Wines Artisan 2018, DOC-CMD Dealu Mare (Romania): elegant and fine dry red wine; on the nose, very fruity (dried plums, berries, black raisins), with the spices, cinnamon, vanilla complementing it; on the palate, the wine is complex and medium-body, balanced on acidity, alcohol and velvety tannins, and long aftertaste.
- Liliac Winery Fetească Neagră 2018, Lechinta-Mures (Romania): a gentle dry red wine; on the nose, fruity (black cherries, plum), sweet wood, cinnamon, black pepper, but also chocolate and vanilla; on the palate, medium-body wine, medium acidity and soft tannins, with powerful and long aftertaste.
- Strunga Winery Fetească Neagră barrique 2020, Iasi (Romania): a fine and fresh red wine, with full bouquet of aromas; on the nose, mineral, spicy (vanilla, pepper) and a lot of fruits (blackberries, dried plum, black cherries); on the palate, full-body wine, medium acidity and velvety tannins, with a long aftertaste.
Besides this great wines from Romania, we would emphasize other relevant wines, produced in Moldova, which have impressed during wine tasting:
- Crama Mircesti Fetească Neagră (78%) - Saperavi (22%) barrique 2021 (Moldova): a splendid and intense dry red wine from Codru PGI; on the nose, black cherries, cranberries, vanilla and spices, which are discovered at tasting too; on the palate, full-body wine, structured on acidity and tannins. The wine has a great potential for ageing. The vintages of 2019 and 2020 have received the gold award at Berlin Wine Trophy in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
- Te Wa Estate Wines Fetească Neagră Multi-vintage 2019 & 2021: an excellent wine from Stefan Voda PGI, on the nose, plum, black fruits, spices and black chocolate; on the palate, medium-to-full body wine, balanced on acidity and perfectly integrated tannins, with a strong aftertaste.
Pairing
Food pairings for Fetească Neagră wine include any type of meat with spicy sauces, game dishes, hard cheeses, baguettes or dark chocolate, but mainly with Romanian/Moldovan traditional food: cabbage rolls, baked duck with mushrooms and legumes, beef stew and smoked sausages.
Instead of conclusion
Fetească Neagră is a Romanian/Moldovan native variety and the wine is, probably, their best ambassador worldwide. The wine is full of character, complex, medium-to-full body with medium or velvety tannins, and it can "compete" with any French or Italian red wine at any wine trade fair or contest, and the recent awards are proving it.
Coming back to FAUTOR WINERY Negre wine, this is just the start and initial steps in recognition of red grape Fetească Neagră and Moldovan/Romanian oenologists' mastery. What is next? Full eyes should be on the 2024 wine contests, as I'm quite sure new Fetească Neagră vintages of premium quality will be discovered.
Enjoy it responsibly!