We saved Negru de Purcari Milesti Mici 1988 for a special occasion. One of us had a birthday and passed the WSET2 exam this July. We thought it qualified for that extraordinary bottle of wine and opened 1988 Negru de Purcari by Milesti Mici Vineyard from Moldova.
This bottle comes with its own story.
Originally, we are from Moldova and brought this bottle back with us when we went for a trip home in 2003. Call us sentimental, but we decided to hold on to this bottle for another 15 years. It traveled with us not just across the Atlantic but across the United States as well when we moved from NYC to the West Coast. Guess, moving across the country wasn’t special enough for it!
So it was laying quietly on the shelf in the cooler until the WSET2 instructor asked the students to share what kind of bottle we are going to celebrate if we pass the course. Students were naming all kinds of great wines and, I guess, the only way to stand out was to go “Sideway” with something no one else might have.
Let’s meet the bottle and the vineyard! 1988 Negru de Purcari comes from the Golden Collection of Milesti Mici Vineyard in Moldova. Negru de Purcari is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Rara Neagra, and Saperavi grapes. From harvest in 1988 and until bottling in 2001 wine was maturing in the casks 200 feet below ground in the longest wine cellar in the world stretching over 100 miles. Yes, you have to drive there to get somewhere in one day.
Color
The color of the wine was garnet with ruby tones and surprisingly vivid for its age although slightly cloudy.
Nose
On the nose, distinctive blackcurrant and touch of sour cherry kept it fresh and acidic. Meaty, gamey and mineral notes complemented fruit aromas well.
Palate
The palate danced a perfect tango with the nose with its savory flavors of fresh blackcurrant berry and acidity of sour cherry, gamey and meaty flavors came along adding to the complexity. Medium length finish had a barely noticeable prune aftertaste.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed this wine for a couple of hours, and it kept opening up although we wished for more. Afterall we waited for 30 years. It could be one of those romance stories: we should’ve met ten years ago. But with wine just like in life: one must enjoy the joy of the present. And we did!