Chateau Purcari is Moldova’s premier winery, founded as early as 1827 when it was granted the title of first official winery in Bessarabia, Moldova’s predecessor. The winery is famed for being a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, its use of indigenous grapes and its similarities to Bordeaux wine. The two locations are located at a similar latitude and Purcari soils are remarkably similar to those in Bordeaux.
Nocturne is Chateau Purcari’s latest range of high-quality wines. The grapes for this one were harvested in the dead of night, to preserve their quality and structure. The NOCTURNE range integrates wines from noble grape varieties, harvested manually in the cool of the night, to preserve the richness of aromas and intensity of taste intact. Chilly grapes are firmer grapes, so there’s less hassle from the winemaker about bruising the fruit while picking. At night, the sugar levels in the grapes are stable and the acid levels are better.
Picking grapes when they’re cool reduces the energy needed to cool them before they can be pressed or fermented. This also helps minimise the oxidative impact of the enzymes in the grapes. The wines in Purcari Nocturne range benefit from a natural chilling effect which protects the freshness of the grapes and the purity of the fruit flavour.
A beautiful ruby colour in the glass, this is a stunning wine made exclusively from a rare Moldovan grape: Rara Neagra. It begins with a deep fruity nose, wafting with hints of blackberry, blackcurrant, and plum, alongside tobacco, coffee and oak.
Purcari Nocturne Rara Neagra is dry and delicate red wine in the mouth, wrapping the tongue in finely grained tannins. You can discover rich notes of black fruit, leather, oak and black pepper. Harvesting at night retains high levels of acidity, which lends excellent structure to this age-worthy red. The wine is produced using traditional methods and aged for 6 months in French oak barrique.
