For the Holidays, offer as a gift a special wine - "Steaua Fără Nume"
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The "Month of Gifts", December, is already here, so if you are looking for suitable gift ideas for wine lovers today we come with a proposal.
A special wine is always a good gift idea. We spoke with Laurent Pfeffer, the oenologist of Catleya Wines, about the wine called "Steaua fără nume" ("The Star without a name"), a wine released in [very] limited edition that is especially suitable for those who like wines made of Fetească Neagră. We asked Laurent to tell us more about this wine and we leave his words below.
Carmina: "Steaua Fără Nume" is an exceptional wine made of Fetească Neagră. Please tell us more about this wine: where does its name come from and what makes it special?
Laurent: With this wine we wanted to pay homage to the writer Mihail Sebastian, the author of the play "Steaua fără nume", written in Corcova when he lived for a while in the mansion of his friend, Anton Bibescu.
The Fetească Neagră grapes come from a vineyard planted at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare to achieve a decrease in the quantity produced in favor of the aromatic and tannic quality of the grapes. To emphasize the expression of the terroir, we used wild yeasts and lactic ferments. Hand-picked and destemmed, berry by berry, the grapes fermented for a period of 4 weeks in 3 400-liter Romanian oak barrels. The wine was then aged in the same barrels for 2 years.
Carmina: The first vintage of "Steaua Fara Nume" is 2019 and it was released in 2023. What is the next vintage and when can we expect for it to be released?
Laurent: The next vintage for "Steaua Fara Nume" is 2020. The wine is already bottled and is in the aging cellar. It will be released for sale in spring 2026.
Carmina: Will "Steaua Fără Nume" remain a single wine or will it be a whole range of wines?
Laurent: "Steaua Fără Nume" wine is a single Fetească Neagră wine with a special harvest and winemaking method. It is a remarkable wine due to its winemaking method: manual destemming, grape by grape and a 4-week fermentation in oak barrels.
Carmina: We know you like working with Fetească Neagră grape and at Catleya Wines you produce several wines from this variety. Please tell us something about the difference between the ranges (Steaua Fâră Nume, Perfect Simplu) or about the winemaking style when it comes to Fetească Neagră.
Laurent: At Domeniul Catleya, we have a total of 1.6 hectares of Fetească Neagră, at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare, which creates competition between the plants and a concentration of aromas in the grapes.
From this plantation we produce two wines: Perfect Simplu and Steaua fâră Nume.
We talked about the special winemaking method used to create Steaua fără Nume, but it represents a production of only 1200 bottles and 169 magnums.
The rest of the grape production is vinified to create Perfect Simplu Fetească Neagră wine. For this wine the winemaking method is as follows: after a maceration to extract color and aromas, alcoholic and malolactic fermentation are carried out with wild yeasts and ferments. This is followed by a maturation of 10-12 months, of which 20% in Romanian oak barrels and the rest in stainless steel tanks.
The result is an elegant wine, balanced with floral and fruity aromas (violets, bitter cherries) as well as those specific to the variety, of freshly cut herbs and even notes of liquorice.
At the end of the discussion, Laurent also left us the description made by Iulia Scavo DipWSET for "Steaua fără Nume" Fetească Neagră, 2019 harvest, which we reproduce below:
"The texture is smooth and silky, supported by slightly firm, but fine-grained tannins. The aromas indicate licorice, spices and a lot of black fruits interspersed with violets and a touch of cocoa. The aftertaste is generous, savory, persistent and full of character. The wine can age for up to a decade. The texture is smooth and silky, supported by slightly firm, still fine-grained tannins. The aromas indicate liquorice, spices and lots of black fruit intermingling with violet flowers and some cocoa. The aftertaste is generous, savory, persistent and full of character. The wine can age for up to a decade.
Wine pairing recommendation: Glazed wild boar fillet with reduced blackcurrant sauce, butternut puree or a surprising reinterpretation of Rossini-style bluefin tuna."
There are plenty of opportunities to give gifts now, at the end of the year, so we hope that the above suggestion will be useful to you. The wine can be purchased on Catleya Wines website, as well as in specialized wine shops.
We wish you a Happy New Year and a whole month of smiles and beautiful moments with your loved ones!
Carmina Nițescu
Winesday.ro & Winesday App
A special wine is always a good gift idea. We spoke with Laurent Pfeffer, the oenologist of Catleya Wines, about the wine called "Steaua fără nume" ("The Star without a name"), a wine released in [very] limited edition that is especially suitable for those who like wines made of Fetească Neagră. We asked Laurent to tell us more about this wine and we leave his words below.
Carmina: "Steaua Fără Nume" is an exceptional wine made of Fetească Neagră. Please tell us more about this wine: where does its name come from and what makes it special?
Laurent: With this wine we wanted to pay homage to the writer Mihail Sebastian, the author of the play "Steaua fără nume", written in Corcova when he lived for a while in the mansion of his friend, Anton Bibescu.
The Fetească Neagră grapes come from a vineyard planted at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare to achieve a decrease in the quantity produced in favor of the aromatic and tannic quality of the grapes. To emphasize the expression of the terroir, we used wild yeasts and lactic ferments. Hand-picked and destemmed, berry by berry, the grapes fermented for a period of 4 weeks in 3 400-liter Romanian oak barrels. The wine was then aged in the same barrels for 2 years.
Carmina: The first vintage of "Steaua Fara Nume" is 2019 and it was released in 2023. What is the next vintage and when can we expect for it to be released?
Laurent: The next vintage for "Steaua Fara Nume" is 2020. The wine is already bottled and is in the aging cellar. It will be released for sale in spring 2026.
Carmina: Will "Steaua Fără Nume" remain a single wine or will it be a whole range of wines?
Laurent: "Steaua Fără Nume" wine is a single Fetească Neagră wine with a special harvest and winemaking method. It is a remarkable wine due to its winemaking method: manual destemming, grape by grape and a 4-week fermentation in oak barrels.
Carmina: We know you like working with Fetească Neagră grape and at Catleya Wines you produce several wines from this variety. Please tell us something about the difference between the ranges (Steaua Fâră Nume, Perfect Simplu) or about the winemaking style when it comes to Fetească Neagră.
Laurent: At Domeniul Catleya, we have a total of 1.6 hectares of Fetească Neagră, at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare, which creates competition between the plants and a concentration of aromas in the grapes.
From this plantation we produce two wines: Perfect Simplu and Steaua fâră Nume.
We talked about the special winemaking method used to create Steaua fără Nume, but it represents a production of only 1200 bottles and 169 magnums.
The rest of the grape production is vinified to create Perfect Simplu Fetească Neagră wine. For this wine the winemaking method is as follows: after a maceration to extract color and aromas, alcoholic and malolactic fermentation are carried out with wild yeasts and ferments. This is followed by a maturation of 10-12 months, of which 20% in Romanian oak barrels and the rest in stainless steel tanks.
The result is an elegant wine, balanced with floral and fruity aromas (violets, bitter cherries) as well as those specific to the variety, of freshly cut herbs and even notes of liquorice.
At the end of the discussion, Laurent also left us the description made by Iulia Scavo DipWSET for "Steaua fără Nume" Fetească Neagră, 2019 harvest, which we reproduce below:
"The texture is smooth and silky, supported by slightly firm, but fine-grained tannins. The aromas indicate licorice, spices and a lot of black fruits interspersed with violets and a touch of cocoa. The aftertaste is generous, savory, persistent and full of character. The wine can age for up to a decade. The texture is smooth and silky, supported by slightly firm, still fine-grained tannins. The aromas indicate liquorice, spices and lots of black fruit intermingling with violet flowers and some cocoa. The aftertaste is generous, savory, persistent and full of character. The wine can age for up to a decade.
Wine pairing recommendation: Glazed wild boar fillet with reduced blackcurrant sauce, butternut puree or a surprising reinterpretation of Rossini-style bluefin tuna."
There are plenty of opportunities to give gifts now, at the end of the year, so we hope that the above suggestion will be useful to you. The wine can be purchased on Catleya Wines website, as well as in specialized wine shops.
We wish you a Happy New Year and a whole month of smiles and beautiful moments with your loved ones!
Carmina Nițescu
Winesday.ro & Winesday App
