Moldova is an important wine country, and increasingly it’s making some really good wines
At a recent event in London I managed to taste through a good range of Moldovan wines.
It’s one of the few wine countries that I haven’t visited, but a few years back I did a deep dive into Moldovan wine, tasting 178 examples, which I wrote up in my usual geeky detail on wineanorak:
Now, five years later, a chance to revisit some of these.
There are 109 700 hectares if vines here, and the latitude spans 45-49 degrees North. This is ideal for grape production, and while 49 used to be on the really cool, perhaps too cool side
Moldovan wineries typically use a mix of local and international varieties, and some of the most effective wines are blends of both. Around 80% of the vineyards are planted with international varieties, 20% with Caucasian (Saperavi, Rkatsiteli) and local varieties (Rară Neagră, Fetească Neagră, Fetească Albă, Fetească Regală).
The leading plantings (in order) are:
- Merlot
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Muscat Ottonel
- Pinot Gris
- Pinot Blanc
- Aligoté
- Pinot Noir
- Riesling
- Saperavi
- Rară Neagră
- Fetească Neagră
- Fetească Albă
- Fetească Regală
SPARKLING
Château Purcari Cuvée de Purcari Extra Brut NV Moldova
12.5% alcohol. A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir. Bright and fruity, and nicely pithy with a lovely citrus twist to the lively, juicy fruit. This is really good. 90/100
Aproape Vignes Ascendantes Pinot Blanc 2025 Moldova
12.5% alcohol. This is a Charmat-method sparkling wine. Focused, fresh and pure with bright lemony fruit. Nice crispness with juicy mandarin notes as well as crisp citrus. Lovely focus. 90/100
Agroape Vignes Ascendantes Blanc de Blancs 2025 Moldova
12.5% alcohol. This is a blend of Chardonnay and Riesling, and it’s a Charmat-method sparkling. Bright, focused, fresh and linear with nice juicy fruit, and fresh pear and citrus fruit. Linear and stylish. 90/100
WHITE
Secole Viorica 2025 Codru, Moldova
13.5% alcohol. Highly aromatic with a grapey, floral nose and good purity. This has lovely texture and weight. 91/100
Agroape Sauvignon Blanc 2025 Moldova
13.5% alcohol. Bright and quite delicate with herb-laced citrus and pear fruit. Clean, linear and appealing. 87/100
Agroape Chardonnay 2024 Moldova
13.5% alcohol. Crisp and linear with nice vivid citrus fruit. Juicy and bright with good acidity. 88/100
Agroape Sauvignon Blanc Muscat Ottonel 2025 Moldova
13.5% alcohol. Lovely terpenic twist here. Bright and linear with juicy citrus fruit. 90/100
Vinaria Din Vale 7 Coline Viorica & Bianca 2025 Moldova
12% alcohol. Juicy, fruity and grapey. Quite pure with nice supple fruit. 87/100
Vinaria Din Vale Motive Feteascã Regalã 2025 Moldova
12.2% alcohol. Bright, grapey and fruity with nice balance and a bit of pithiness. Pure and fruity. 87/100
Vinãria Sãlcuța ENO Feteascã Regalã & Sauvignon Blanc 2025 Moldova
13% alcohol. Fresh, fruity and linear, with nice grapey detail. Crisp, pure and well made. 87/100
Kazayak Pinot Gris 2025 Moldova
12.5% alcohol. Expressive and fruity with nice grapey hints. Stony and mineral with some lovely spicy fruit. 88/100
Château Vartely Taraboste Alb Chardonnay 2023 Moldova
14% alcohol. Nicely textured fruit with intense, spicy, woody detail and notes of vanilla, nuts and honey. Quite crystalline. 87/100
Castel Mimi Sãnzienele 2025 Moldova
12.5% alcohol. This is lively, fresh, peppery and spicy. Fresh citrus fruits and some distinctive spicy characters, with good intensity. 92/100
Bostavan Motiv Feteascã Alba & Chardonnay 2025 Moldova
12.7% alcohol. Lively, bright and pure with a lovely citrus drive. Has vivid fruit. Grapey, juicy and expressive. 90/100
Carlevana Raritet Viorica 2025 Codru, Moldova
13% alcohol. Lovely grapey fruit here with notes of pepper and dried herbs. Textured with nice weight and some pear skin character. Good balance. 91/100
Gitana Autograf Feteascã Regalã 2024 Moldova
Nice grapey richness with pear and peach fruit too. Lovely depth to this wine wit some fruit sweetness and nice texture. Stylish. 91/100
Calarasi Divin Secole Feteascã Regalã 2025 Codru, Moldova
12% alcohol. Fresh and supple with nice balance to the textured fruit, as well as notes of dried herbs and grapefruit pith. There’s a pleasant slightly bitter twist on the finish. 89/100
Vinãria Sãlcuța Epizod Chardonnay 2024 Moldova
Powerful peach, pear and almond notes as well as some honey and aniseed. A powerful wine that has plenty of oak, but it’s quite well integrated. 90/100
Vinãria Sãlcuța Apertus White 2023 Moldova
This is a blend of Feteascã Regalã and Riesling. Powerful and weighty with citrus, pear, peach, nuts and spice. Lovely density with rich fruit. Bold and stylish. 90/100
Vinaria Din Vale 7 Coline Feteascã Regalã & Traminer 2025 Moldova
12.5% alcohol. Grapey and lively with nice weight and notes of aniseed, herbs, lemons and pear. Fruity with a minty edge. 89/100
Radicini Reserve Chardonnay Pinot Grigio 2022 Moldova
Fresh, focused and textured with nice pear and white peach fruit. Very textural and fresh with good weight and balance. 91/100
Carlevana Raritet Orange 2022 Codru, Moldova
12.5% alcohol. This is a blend of Muscat Ottonel and Chardonnay, and spends four months on skins. Floral, minty nose. Nice weight with textured apricot, pear and grape fruit, with some melony richness. Lovely. 92/100
RED
Vinum Estate Selection Vladlen Uzhakov Saperavi 2021 Moldova
14% alcohol. This is quite rich with ripe cherry and plum fruit, but it’s also supple and fresh with good purity. 90/100
Asconi Winery Casa Felina Merlot Feteascã Neagra 2024 Moldova
13% alcohol. Juicy, supple and bright with nice fresh red cherries and berries. Bright, expressive and pure. Stylish. 89/100
Castel Mimi Roşu de Bulboaca Limited Edition 2021 Moldova
Ripe and stylish. Refined with well balanced oak and notes of cherries and plums with a touch of aniseed. 91/100
Castel Mimi The Governor’s Blend 2022 Moldova
Bold, ripe, rich and spicy with nice density and some grippy structure. This is an impact wine, and it has some deliciousness to it, finishing with some sour cherry. 91/100
Château Purcari Negru de Purcari 2022 Moldova
14% alcohol. Bold, concentrated, spicy and rich with nicely integrated oak. Amazing intensity of fruit and nice balance. 93/100
Gitana Winery Rara Neagrã Classic 2023 Moldova
Fresh, pure and supple with nice cherries and raspberries, with good acid. Really pure with some grapey richness. Vital. 92/100
(Asconi Winery) Found Feteascã Neagrã 2022 Moldova
12.5% alcohol. This is a private label for Marks & Spencer in the UK, and it is great value. Supple, stony and bright with nice berry fruits and a touch of grapey richness. Delicious. 90/100
Château Purcari Nocturne Rarã Neagrã 2024
13.5% alcohol. Nice concentration and weight here. Warm and spicy with lively berry and cherry fruits. Supple, fine and delicious with good red fruit character. 93/100
Atu Winery Calibru 2022 Moldova
14% alcohol. This is a blend of Saperavi, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rarã Neagrã. Grippy and lively with nice sweet red berry and cherry fruit. Delicious and open with nice weight. 89/100
Asconi Winery Sol Negru Feteascã Neagra 2024 Moldova
13% alcohol. Juicy and vivid, this is a bright red with focused cherry and berry fruits as well as good acid. Very fruit driven with some structure. 92/100
Château Vartely Taraboste Roşu 2018 Moldova
15% alcohol. Rich, ripe and bold with nice oak spice notes. A crowd pleaser. 89/100
Vinãria Sãlcuța Apertus Red NV Moldova
A blend of two vintages (2021 and 2022) and two varieties (Rara Neagra and Feteascã Neagra). Bold, sweet and rich with some grippy structure. Nice intensity with some juiciness and a touch of spice. 88/100
