Mustoasa de Maderat is a local grape variety that has its origin near the city of Maderat, from where it took its name.
We produce wine from Mustoasa de Maderat in two of the ranges: Castel Sofia and MaxiMarc.
We produce Mustoasa de Maderat Castel Sofia guided by a traditional method from the 19th century. Back in the old days, Mustoasa was harvested after the first frost, and each bunch was hung on a wire in an attic, where it was airier. This produced an environment where the grapes would partially dehydrate.
We wanted to follow the tradition. We don't put the grapes on a wire, but we harvest them in mid-October and place them in crates that we store in a room with continuous ventilation for a month. During this period, the grapes don't dry out, but the stems do. Thus, the sap enters the berries, and they continue to mature, as do the skin and seeds, leading to complex flavors.
The wine shows aromas of honey, ripe apricots and yellow peaches, almonds, green nuts, and is carried on the palate by a strong acidity and minerality. The wine has an aging potential of 5+ years.
Mustoasa de Maderat MaxiMarc is a wine that evolves very well in the bottle, with an aging potential of 3+ years. The grapes do not go through a period of dehydration in crates, rather they go directly into the cellar. After de-stemming and crushing, the grapes undergo a cold maceration period that lasts at least 24 hours. The grapes are then pressed off and the juice fermented in stainless steel tanks.
After fermentation, Mustoasa MaxiMarc has a maturation period on fine yeast for 6 months in stainless steel, while Mustoasa Castel Sofia has a maturation period of one year on fine yeast in oak barrels.
These two wines are produced from grapes harvested at separate times with two different vinification methods.
All because we wanted to highlight that from the same grape variety, using distinct and different winemaking styles, we can make exceptional and complex wines.
"The grapes, created in the great laboratory of nature, by the popular selection, by the inhabitants of this area, would go down in history under the name of Mustoasa de Maderat" - Dr. Eng. Ion Pusca
