Feteasca Alba 1983 from Bucium winery: an unexpected discovery from Romania

Feteasca is a grape variety that is known to have three expressions: the dark skinned Neagra, and two white skinned, the Regala and the Alba. In actuality, there is no definite evidence that all of these are even related to each other, despite the name. The Feteasca Alba supposedly originated in Moldavia and then spread west to Transylvania and Hungary.  In Romania, it covers more than 10% of the total plantings, with 10.500 ha. It is second only to Regala in plantings and thought to be  a clonal variation of Neagra, although this has not been positively proven.

Feteasca Alba typically produces fresh, elegant wines with scents reminiscent of flowers together with nuances of stone fruit. The wines that are produced from vines in cooler mesoclimates preserve more acidity, thus delivering a crispy profile. In terms of quality one can't say that Feteasca Alba deserves a place in the hall of fame of the most ageworthy varieties. Contrarily, most wines are meant to be drunk during the first two to three years of their life, at which time the primary aromas are stronger.