Why it matters
The producer
Domeniile Săhăteni is the Dealu Mare estate of oenologist Aurelia Vișinescu and her associate, Steve Cacenco. Fetească Neagră appears in Artisan Fetească Neagră, Red Artisan, Signature Fetească Neagră 2016 and Anima Grand Reserve 2016, while White Artisan brings Fetească Albă, Fetească Regală and Tămâioasă Românească into the white range.
The vineyard covers 82 hectares under vine. Indigenous Romanian varieties grow alongside international grapes including Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The wines are made in a cellar equipped for pneumatic pressing, temperature controlled stainless steel fermentation and bottling.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The vineyard lies in Dealu Mare, within Muntenia in Romania. The orientation of the hills provides the vines with considerable light and water, while the regional wine description places White Artisan 2025 in Dealu Mare and Muntenia.
Dealu Mare is a broad regional address rather than a named village on the bottle. The producer works within that area with both Romanian and international grape varieties, from Fetească Albă and Fetească Regală to Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The vineyard includes 64 hectares replanted with French clones over ten years. Some vines are about 40 years old, chiefly with indigenous varieties. Without irrigation, yields are five to six tonnes per hectare for Anima and eight tonnes per hectare for the other ranges.
The cellar uses pneumatic presses, temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for fermentation and a modern bottling facility. It contains more than 400 barriques for ageing. All red wines undergo spontaneous alcoholic fermentation, while Chardonnay undergoes spontaneous malolactic fermentation.
Wines to know
The range in view
White Artisan is the white blend in the range. The 2025 wine combines 50 percent Fetească Albă, 35 percent Fetească Regală and 15 percent Tămâioasă Românească.
The red wines divide between Fetească Neagră bottlings and broader blends. Artisan Fetească Neagră 2018 spent 12 months in second use South Romanian oak. Red Artisan 2018 combines Fetească Neagră, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Anima Grand Reserve 2016 blends 39 percent Fetească Neagră, 25 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 18 percent Syrah and 18 percent Merlot, with each component aged separately for 12 to 18 months in new or second fill Romanian and French oak barriques.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Choose White Artisan 2021. Each grape variety was fermented separately in stainless steel at between 13 and 18 degrees Celsius, keeping the components distinct before ageing on the lees for two months with lees movement.