by Rose Murray Brown MW   Published in The Scotsman 30 August 2014

I recently noticed that one of UK’s leading wine merchants had listed four wines from Moldova.  Of all our emerging wine countries of the world, Moldova is perhaps one of the least well-known so I was fascinated to find out what this former Soviet republic had to offer us. 

I had a hazy memory of stories of Australian investments in Moldova after the fall of the Soviet Union, when Penfolds had for a short time been exploring the favourable climatic and soil potential in Hincesti region, after Moldova gained independence in 1991.  I had also heard stories of a former limestone mine at Cricova which had been converted by Stalin into an underground town in the 1950’s – and its 120km of cellars are today being used as a winery and vast wine store housing 1.3 million bottles.

What is really surprising about Moldova (once called Bessarabia) is that winemaking is today its principal agricultural activity – yet few wine lovers in the UK have heard of it or tasted their wines.  The country has a distinguished long wine history, dating back 3000 years.  It once had over 240,000 hectares supplying 80% of Russia’s wines; Tsar Alexander 1 established a winery here and gave his name to the region of Romanesti – and Stalin favoured Moldovan wines as some of his premium imports into Russia. 

Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol reforms and the fall of the Soviet Union put paid to Moldovan exporting history, but today Moldova still has 100,000 hectares.  To put this into perspective, this is three times the size of New Zealand’s vineyard area, just under South Africa’s total and a similar size to Greece’s vine area.  That makes Moldova currently the 26th largest wine country in the world. 

Sandwiched between Romania and western part of Ukraine, this Black Sea state clearly has huge viticultural potential.  It boasts four wine zones: north, central, southeast and south.  In the cooler north, whites tend to be better with higher acidity – and the full bodied reds come from the warmer south.  With a similar latitude to Burgundy, poor soils, slopes, valleys and temperate climate – it sounds like a model wine country.

Moldova also has plenty of European grapes from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon which were planted by French colonists in the C19, as they also did in neighbouring Romania.  They also have the white Rkatsiteli and red Saperavi grapes which we also find in nearby Georgia – and a particularly appealing red Romanian grape called Rara Neagra, otherwise known as ‘grandmother’s black’.

So why have we not heard much about Moldovan wine before?  Well, as wine writer Hugh Johnson quite rightly points out: “the potential is there, but quality is patchy”.  Moldova also holds the dubious title of having the world’s highest wine consumption per capita, according to World Health Organisation statistics in 2005 – so perhaps that is why little is currently exported to the west.

Most wineries are around Chisinau in the central region and in southern Cahul and Dniester.  The two best known are Acorex and Purcari.  The wines I sampled all came from Chateau Purcari in Purcari region in the southeast.  First established in 1827, since 2003 it has been completely revitalized under new ownership by Bostavin – and is now also a wine tourist attraction.  I was pleasantly surprised by what I tasted and I can see what potential this country has.

MOLDOVAN WINE TASTE TEST:

WHITE

Pinot Grigio 2012 Chateau Purcari
(£11.95 Berry Bros & Rudd www.bbr.com)
Alcohol: 13%
Grape: Pinot Gris
This is more akin to a heavier Alsace Pinot Gris than light quaffing Italian style Pinot Grigio.  Smells of unripe pearskins with a hint of that famous ‘sweaty’ camping smell when you haven’t had a bath for a day, but the palate of this wine is full richly fruity, slightly too weighty for my palate with its 13% alcohol but with very attractive spicy undertones.  Very pleasant accompaniment to a bowl of pasta, mushrooms and garlic.  Expect to see more of Moldovan Pinot Grigio as they have over 2,000 hectares planted of this grape.

REDS

Rara Neagra 2011 Chateau Purcari
(£11.95 Berry Bros & Rudd www.bbr.com)
Alcohol: 13%
Grape: Rara Neagra
This is an intriguing wine – and my favourite of the four Purcari wines.  This old Romanian grape variety is usually found in neighbouring eastern Romanian wine regions, but Moldova has 80 hectares.  Medium bodied, no great depth of colour, baked red fruits with sour cherry notes, good natural acidity, oak notes from 12 months maturation.  The finish is a touch rustic, but overall I was impressed.  It reminded me of a cross between a southern Tuscan Pinot Noir crossed with the exotic spicy baked fruits of a Lebanese red.  Not bad value either compared to Purcari’s other wines.  Try it!

Negru de Purcari Reserva 2010 Chateau Purcari
(£22.50 Berry Bros & Rudd www.bbr.com)
Alcohol: 14%
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Rara Neagra and Saperavi
A more serious wine, hence the price.  Deep colour, more black fruits with plummy figgy undertones, tarry inky depth, dense and structured but not as immediately appealing as Purcari’s Rara Neagra.  The Negru is one of Moldova’s most prized wines.  Needs time in bottle to mellow further.

SWEET

Icewine 2011 Chateau Purcari
(£26.95 for hf bt Berry Bros & Rudd www.bbr.com)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Grape: Muscat/Zibibbo
Freezing cold dry winter conditions in the mountains enable winegrowers to pick frozen grapes.  Personally I did not find it as high in quality as the new Chinese icewines from Chateau Changyu now emerging from Liaoning in north east China, but this Moldovan effort is very acceptable with its dense sweet honeyed flavours and caramel undertones.  Like all icewine, production is very labour intensive so it is sadly expensive.

Join Rose’s Beginners Wine Tasting Classes in central Edinburgh from £36 www.rosemurraybrown.com