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That Useful Wine Site

  Wine explained, clearly and helpfully, including critic-recommended specimens of each variety.

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The Fetească Neagră Grape


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About Fetească Neagră

(Synonyms: Coada Rândunicii, Fetyaska Chernaya, Păsarească Neagră, Poamă Fetei Neagră, Schwarze Mädchentraube.)

Pronunciation: fet-YAS-ka ni-AG-ra

Background

Map showing modern Moldova

Fetească Neagră is an old red-wine grape originating in Moldavia (a region that comprises today’s Republic of Moldova plus the Moldova region of Romania). Its plantings have now spread into the surrounding areas of Transilvania and Hungary, though most today comes from Romania.

Fetească Neagră is another of those delightful Eastern European wines that was almost wholly destroyed by the Soviet regime when those nations were “satellites” of Russia, where quantity was the sole criterion, quality apparently having been an unknown concept to the Soviets.

Fetească Neagră wines can cover a broad spectrum of styles, but are probably at their best when made as light, fresh, and fruit-driven, intended for early consumption. Heavier styles, with oaking used to moderate the “heat” from the variety’s inherently high alcohol content, are not reported as great successes. But when well-made as a young-drinking wine, it is considered a success indeed. To quote the eminent wine reviewer Jancis Robinson, “They are typically dry and full-bodied with intense, complex aromas of spice, both red and black fruit, especially ripe plums, and tannins that can become velvety as they age. The variety…can easily be over-oaked.

Factoid: Fetească Neagră is one member of a trio of Fetească wines, the other two being the white-wine grapes Fetească Regală and Fetească Albă, both also rather good.

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Some Descriptions of Fetească Neagră Wines

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Some FeteascaNeagra Bottlings to Try

(About this list.)

  Wines with a critics’ consensus score of 89:
Cramele Recas "La Putere" Fetească Neagră   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Recas Castle Fetească Neagră   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]

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This page was last modified on Friday, 13 December 2024, at 6:23 pm Pacific Time.