Armenia

Vayots Dzor, Armenia. Mid bluish crimson. Lovely small-wild-berry aroma. Spicy and darker fruited. 'Amphora adds more funk', says winemaker Alberto Antonini. Spicy and a little savoury too but the fruit is so expressive. Tannins are present but so fine and have the spice woven into them. A little saliva-inducing. Spice has infiltrated the tannin like the fat marbled through the most flavourful beef. Peppery and mineral, and complex and persistent. Refined but has a wildness and energy to it...

Vayots Dzor, Armenia. One of those wines where from first taste, you know you like it. It’s personable and easy to drink, with a little bit of the old unusual grape factor thrown in, lending some intrigue. Has a gentle floral perfume, snuffed candle, juicy stone fruit and mandarin, crunchy but unobtrusive acidity, some flinty texture and a smooth and lightly glossy almond-laced finish of fine length. Love it...

Vayots Dzor, Armenia. One of those wines where from first taste, you know you like it. It’s personable and easy to drink, with a little bit of the old unusual grape factor thrown in, lending some intrigue. Has a gentle floral perfume, snuffed candle, juicy stone fruit and mandarin, crunchy but unobtrusive acidity, some flinty texture and a smooth and lightly glossy almond-laced finish of fine length. Love it...

Vayots Dzor, Armenia.  The fruit is sweet and lightly herbal. More juicy at this stage than the 2013 Yeraz but the overall balance of the 2018 shows the superiority of that vintage. This is a glorious combination of an expressive variety and a great site, with the winemaking subtle enough to let both shine...