Julia Scavo - DipWSET Sommelier - Reviewing wines from Histria winery
Julia Scavo is probably the most famous Romanian sommelier internationally at the moment. Her professional certifications, her successes in profile competitions and her pleasant speeches make her the ideal character to promote the Romanian wine culture - both domestically and internationally.
Amongst her portfolio of achievement we can find:
- 1st place in the ‘Best Sommelier of Romania’ competition in 2018
- 3rd place in the ‘Best Sommelier in Europe’ competition in 2017
- 5th place in the ‘Best Sommelier in the World’ competition in 2013
We already know the impressive stories of Histria Winery and its wines but now we are proud and honoured to share her kind words with you.
Julia Scavo DipWSET: 'Paul Fulea is maybe the "wild child" of the Dobrogean viticulture, close to the Black Sea shore in an area that is sunbathed over 300 days a year.
Not far from the Histria fortress his eponymous winery boasts a mix of youth and history. As Paul says, it is a new page of an old history, and I would add, with one foot on the side of a luminous apollonian philosophy and another on the side of Dionysus.
I haven’t met him personally yet, but there is something both meticulously thoughtful and artistically prodigal in his wines.
Paul inherited his father's vines, some dating back to 1977 and planted Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Fetească Neagră, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. He is now vinifying on 15ha and hopes to enlarge to 25ha.
1. Mirachi 2021 Fetească Neagră 12,5% abv. IG Colinele Dobrogei Floral nose offering some positive reductive notes, revealing hints of cherry, confected fruits on stony background. Dry, with pretty elevated acidity, a digest wine with juicy pulp, whose silky mouthfeel is imprinted with spices, redcurrant and pomelo crisps. Slightly firm zesty finish.
2. Ammos 2021 Fetească Neagră/Pinot Noir/ Cabernet Sauvignon 12,5% abv. IG Colinele Dobrogei Blossoms mingle with cherries and cranberries with a light chalky, stony character. Dry and silky, refreshed by its medium plus acidity, it offers a dense palate, with fleshy fruit, spices, and some herbal notes. Long, sapid, and juicy finish with a salty splash.
3. Nikolaos Rosé 2021 14,5% abv. IG Colinele Dobrogei Intense nose with a light herbal twist, it shows opulent fruit such as strawberry, apricot, melon, some green guava, a creamy touch. Dry with a ripe, almost off- dryish feeling despite less than 1g/l of residual sugar, it has a soft acidity while keeping fresh. Its rich and generous alcohol brings weight and layers of texture, enhancing its spicy nerve. Fleshy core with vine peach, creamy strawberries and a nice, leesy, rounded up mouthfeel, it is long, spicy, with liquorice finish.
4. Nikolaos White 2021 Sauvignon Blanc (18- days skin contact) Aromatic, intriguing, with herbal hints, melon, melliferous blossoms, almost musky. Dry with rich attack and gentle acidity, its textured palate shows a nice chewy bite, imposing a slightly firm phenolic frame while coated up with leesy texture and generous, but not warming alcohol. Bursting with spices, such as Timut pepper and liquorice, it offers fine grained structure and a character of its own.
For those who want to learn more, Elizabeth Gabay MW’s book (from the #ProViRo series) about Dobrogea will be on the shelf soon, so stay tuned!'
Source: Facebook