Rară Neagră

Rară Neagră is the Moldovan name of Băbească Neagră (VIVC 843), an old red variety of south-eastern Romania and Moldova, catalogued in 1946. Its loose bunches and thin skin make it prone to botrytis and downy mildew, while the vine withstands frosts down to −18 °C; it ripens in the second half of September at 180–220 g/l of sugar and keeps high acidity. The wines are light, with fine tannins and notes of rosehip, redcurrant and blackberry, and also suit rosé and sparkling wine. The best come from Purcari, Răscăieți, Leuntea, Talmaza and Căușeni in the Ștefan Vodă PGI, where it was part of the fame of Negru de Purcari; 102 ha in 2019.