There are very many stories about Cotnari wine. Cotnari wine comes from Romanian, medieval and modern literature and it is said to be mythical. It is often served next to the equally controversial figure of Stephen the Great, the lover of women, intoxication and builder of monasteries. The irony is that of all the celebrities in our history, he is the one who left behind physical evidence: the monasteries he had built. What about COTNARI? Did it survive the troubled times?

At first glance, one might say that it did not. Despite the reality we find on the shelves of stores, I kept thinking that a wine such as Cotnari, with such rich heritage, can't have entirely disappeared. Those who worship this wine are still too many. They couldn't have been wrong so badly.

I've recently had the opportunity to check this intuition by opening a bottle of Cotnari, a Romanian Tămâioasă 1964. After nearly 50 years, the wine is still impeccable, there are no traces of oxidation, it has well defined flavours and good acidity. When exposed to the air, the coconut, almond and brandy flavours are replaced with bitter cherries and honey flavours, and the wine gains amplitude. The body of the wine was unexpectedly unctuous, leaving heavy tears on the glass and the intense final taste reminded us of a cake with citron. The wine had blossomed in that glass for hours until we finished the bottle, without showing signs of losing its taste.

I think this wine had been kept in barrels for several yaers and probably contained a remarkable amount of sugar. I had to admit that it was the best wine I had ever tasted, and I sincerely hope this will not be a once in a lifetime kind of experience.

The sadness caused by the fact that the bottle had finished was enhanced by the fact that I realised that I still have preconceived ideas. I seem to have the tendency to look for more in others, even though those things are right under my nose. Perhaps we should regain confidence in Cotnari if we want it to believe in itself.

I don't know the names of those who made this tămâioasă în 1964 and i wish i could thank them for making such a wonderful wine that will forever stay close to my soul.