Umbrele, Syrah, Ville Timisului, Romania, 2018

Producer Profile

Back in 1988, three families decided to invest in a winery in Romania, starting with 650 hectares of slightly unloved vineyards and a rusty, once state-owned winery.

Yet Englishman Philip Cox and his Romanian wife Elvira, have turned the Cramele Recas Estate into the most successful winery in Romania. Recas are now recognised globally for their impressive scale and breadth of fascinating wines, including natural and orange wine from organic grapes. Despite the scale the emphasis is on making good wines that over-deliver, and as a result they’ve struck on a magic formula that has seen sales and demand boom. Vineyards are a combination of evolved plantings from 1447 and more recent planting, whilst the winery has seen significant investment and boasts state of the art facilities where innovation thrives. Recas are in every way a modern, dynamic winery, whose open-minded approach and quality sets them apart … a winery you really can’t ignore.

Viticulture

Planted on the rolling hills in viile Timisului, the vines were replanted 12 year ago to on a trellised system. Conventional new world viticulture and meticulous canopy management. Grapes are machine harvested.

Winemaking

Crushing and full destemming on all parcels, fermentation in stainless steel 40 to 50 tonne tanks, controlled yeast inoculation. Temperature 25-32 deg C for about 5-7days on skins with regular automated pumpovers. Pressed with some sugar still present. Ferment finishes off on the skins, centrifugation off gross lees as soon as dry followed by natural malolactic fermentation

Tasting Note

Cherry red colour with a fruit filled nose and smokey nuances. Integrated toasty oak with the great Syrah flavours. Soft chamois leather tannins.

Food Matching

Enjoy with red meat and game, Iberico ham, and light pasta dishes.