Iskar Rară Neagră

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22 December 2025

This is a return to a wine that was my favourite during the Autumn/Winter Aldi press tasting. From Asconi Winery in Moldova, a family-run venture established in 1994, their focus has always been on producing the best possible wines by embracing the latest, specifically Italian, technology.

The 2021 vintage comes in at 13.5% abv and is made from 85% Rară Neagră, 10% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

It delivers exactly as it did at the tasting. A strong aroma brings rich dark fruit with a lovely thread of smokiness running through it. The taste leans into an initially sweet-tinged profile, as the label suggests, yet never crosses into being actually sweet. As the taste progresses it comes across more savoury, with medium tannins and a lingering finish that’s marked by a deep woody character.

At £7.99 from Aldi, this feels like a real find and genuinely drinks like something twice the price, or more. For this review, I managed to pick it up at the promotional price of £5.99, running until 24 December 2025, during a clear effort by Aldi to draw customers in with wines that are probably priced near or below cost.

It was so good I have gone back for more, despite already having more wine than I realistically need. As with my previous visit, it was one of the most fully stocked wine crates in the store, which makes me think, sadly, most Aldi shoppers pass it by simply because they’re unfamiliar with the country, name and grape.

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