Winemaker Notes
Expressive aromas of red berries and black cherries, followed byfloral notes of lilacs and hint of minerality. The palate is both intense andelegant. A ripe and powerful tannic structure and refreshing acidity bring balanceto the fruit flavors, culminating in a complex yet harmonious finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Bright ruby to the eye, this wine has a nose of black cherry, raspberry and chocolate. There is a good balance of fruit and spice on the tongue, with flavors of blackberry, purple plum, gingerbread spice and caramel. Firm tannins fade into a finish marked by notes of espresso and anisette
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
Sitting just north of Iran and east of Turkey, Armenia is a mountainous and land-locked ex-Soviet republic. As part of the Transcaucasion region, which includes eastern Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia, Armenia is among the oldest of wine growing regions. While the prevalence and popularity of Armenian winemaking has evolved over the centuries, the wild vine Vitis vinifera silvestris (an ancestor of today’s Vitis vinifera wine-producing species) has been growing here for over a million years. Today the majority of the grapes grown in Armenia go to Brandy production, but the rising demand for Armenian wine in its most popular market, Russia, is fueling growth of still wine production. Most of the country’s wines come from the regions of Armavir, Ararat and Vayots Dzor. Though Armenia lays claim to hundreds of indigenous varieties, it uses only about 30 for the majority of its wine production, three quarters of which is white. The key white varieties include Chilar, Lalvari and Voskehat; for reds, Kakhet, Areni and Khndogni (also known as Sireni) are the main players.