PUCARI 2021 FREEDOM BLEND
I have written about Moldova before (WBM – The making of Moldova March-April 2020) It is a small (about half the size of Tasmania) landlocked nation that sits between Romania and Ukraine. It is a country of some 2.8 million people, Chisinau is the capital and largest city. Like every other state in Eastern Europe, it has had a tumultuous past with changing borders and masters especially since 1812 when the Ottoman Empire ceded it to the Russian Empire. It has been an independent nation since the 27th August 1991.
During the Soviet era the winery mass produced industrial wines as demanded by the Soviets. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the winery was closed until 2003 when it was revived and revitalised. Since then they have been again producing quality wine.
Today’s wine is the PUCARI 2021 FREEDOM BLEND - Tribute Edition. This wine has been produced since 2014 when the Russians invaded Ukraine’s Donbas & Crimea regions.
The wine is a blend of 65% Saperavi (Georgian native variety), 20% Rara Neagra (Moldovan) and 15% Bastardo (Ukraine). It has a delightfully deep red/purple colour, a gorgeous bouquet of freshly roasted beetroot with a hint of nutmeg and cloves- very attractive.
The palate is superb, rich, well rounded, beautifully balanced and with lashings of complex flavours and a smidge of cinnamon on the delightful, long lingering finish. This is a big wine that is raring to go right now, is very moreish and truly OUTSTANDING.
What makes this wine even more special is the fact that since February 2022, the proceeds of the sales of this wine have been dedicated to feeding Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. Such a noble cause, no wonder that Moldova is known as “the small country with a BIG heart”
A toast to the freedom and self-determination of all the Eastern European states, and a big thank you to the Moldovan wine industry for doing their part in helping the displaced and oppressed.
Dan Traucki