This is a companion article to the Forbes articled titled Azerbaijan Angles To Distinguish Its Wines.
The following tasting notes complement the notes in the Forbes article.
Meysari. Sanam Rosé. 2023. 90-91 points. $13.50.
Dark colored rosé made 100% from the Cinsault grape. Oily mouth feel, heft and depth though not complex.
Meysari. Marcan. 2021. 90 points. $13.50.
A French and regional grape blend of Cinsault, Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Marselan and Saperavi. 13.6% alcohol. Flavors include chocolate and pomegranates.
Karabakh. Chardonnay. 2019. 89 points. $7.50.
Sweet aromas that include nectarines in this wine aged in steel tanks. Flavors are as rounded as those of a young Pinot Blanc and include buttered toast, apricots and white peaches.
Savalan Aspi Winery. Verdejo. 2023. 90 points. $8.00. [Good Value ♫]
All whites from Savalan Aspi are aged only in steel. This 12.5% alcohol wine is slightly straw colored and includes aromas of topicals, salinity and limes. Kiwi fruit flavors and bright finish but slightly herbaceous.
Savalan Aspi Winery. Viognier. 2024. 90-91 points. $8.00. [Good Value ♫]
Rounded tropical fruit aromas that include pineapple, with slight salinity and white flowers. Quite acidic and more linear than the 2023 Viognier from the same producer. 13% alcohol.
Savalan Aspi Winery. Sauvignon Blanc. 2023. 90-91 points. $8.00. [Good Value ♫]
Grapefruit bomb of aromas that also include mangos, hay, green grass and salinity. Although this wine includes minerality it is slightly herbaceous.
Savalan Aspi Winery. Traminer. 2024. 91-92 points. $9.00. [Excellent Value ♫♫]
Perfumed aromas include honeysuckle, cotton candy and lime. Pleasantly rounded mouth feel to this semi-dry white wine with distinct notes that resemble Moscato and includes only 12.5% alcohol. Rich and honeyed with a bright acidic but rounded finish.
Savalan Aspi Winery. Petit Verdot Red Dry Reserve. 2017. 92+ points. $10.00. [Superlative Value ♫♫♫]
Complex aromas of tobacco, chocolate, coffee, red plums, gorse and sage. Bright acidity and firm, structured tannins with mid palate flavors of mocha, cinnamon stick and herbs of Provence.
Savalan Aspi Winery. Elisa Winemaker Reserve. 2023. 91-92 points. $9.00.
Named after the lab officer and spouse of the Enologist (both are Italian) this blend of Chardonnay, Traminer and Muscat from the Savalan Valley in the foothills of the Caucuses Mountains ages six months in aged oak. Sharp aromas of grapefruit, butter and flint. Flavors include toast and guava.
Savalan Aspi Winery. Alicante Bouschet Red Dry Reserve. 2019. 92 points. $10.00. [Excellent Value ♫♫]
From a Portuguese grape this 14.5% alcohol wine includes aromas of red plums and Oreo cookies, red cherries and some herbaceous notes. Flavors include chocolate chunks, red plums and fig newtons. Elegant tannins and well enfolded acidity. Red wines from this winery spend three months stored in cellars.
Chabiant. Madrasa Rosé. 2023. 91+ points. $7.35. [Excellent Value ♫♫]
From the Ismayilli Region, this 12% alcohol wine with an extremely light color includes crisp aromas of white florals, mandarins, cotton candy and raspberries. Buoyant and textured mid palate with swirling flavors that include lime, strawberries and pomegranates. Succulent acidity. Pair with sashimi.
Chabiant. Saperavi-Cabernet Sauvignon. Red Dry Wine. 91-92 points. $11.75. [Good Value ♫]
Crafted by Tuscan enologist Marco Catelani. The Saperavi juice ages in second passage oak for 12 months. A meaty yet slick river of texture. Heft and structure with chocolate and tobacco aromas similar to a Syrah, and red cherries and cassis of the Cabernet Sauvignon as well as aromas of earth and slight eucalyptus. Elegant and well-structured tannins in this easy drinking, chewy and textured wine. Think Syrah meets Carménère. Heft and suaveness and flavors that include figs, black licorice and morels. Acidic and textured. Pair with lamb cooked with wild onions and plums.
F.A. Valley. Amore Rosé. 2023. 91-92 points. €12.00.
A 90/10 blend of Sangiovese/Nero d’Avola grapes in this rosé with a pale peach color. Fermented in steel tanks with indigenous yeast and not fined or filtered. Brisk aromas of brioche, fresh bread, citrus and lime. Fresh and with slight tropical flavors. 11% alcohol.
F. A. Valley. Puro Terroir Nero d’Avola. 2021. 91-92 points. €35.00.
Fermented in cement with natural yeasts; unfined and unfiltered. Aged two months in clay amphorae. Dark fruit aromas, as well as red cherries. Pronounced acidity with supple tannins and flavors of cherries and cranberries as well as red plums. 12.5% alcohol.
