TIMBRUS | Saperavi | Oenologist Reserve | 2014
saperavi

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Tonight we are going to review a very rare wine – Saperavi Oenologist Reserve 2014 by Timbrus. This is a single varietal saperavi wine, signed by Manuel Vicente Ortiz Martinez, produced in the Stefan-Voda region in the south-east of Moldova. Saperavi is a teinturier grape variety, which means that the flesh of the berry is also dark, therefore the wines are very deep in color with nuanced acidity and firm tannins, which makes them respond well to ageing. Although Georgia is the birthplace of saperavi, there are a handful of other european countries that also grow and produce saperavi wines, and Moldova is one of them. Some say that the saperavi wines made in Moldova are of a better quality that the ones from Georgia, and tonight we are going to test this theory!
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

Visual
Noble and deep garnet color, with elegant ruby hues towards the rim of the glass.

Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with red and blue fruit flavours: blue plum, lolyberry, ripe sour cherry, redcurrant, cranberry, red apple, wolfberry, marionberry, rowanberry, cherry tree wood, red mirabelle and leather. An instant later the nose is filled with elegant notes of nutmeg, red pepper, anise and some subtle hints of cinnamon.

Gustatory
The wine is dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and smooth tannin. It feels velvety, noble and smooth, with a complex and harmonious body. This is a well structured, fruity and elegant wine, as it tastes ripe and seedy, with delicate woody hints towards on the palate. The wine is very well balanced and it has a nuanced tart and crisp feeling on the mouthfeel.

Aftertaste
It has a very long finish and an velvety-smooth aftertaste.
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This is definitely a fine Wine of Moldova and the overall rating says the same, with 91.8 points scored it is right there, among the best wines we’ve tasted so far. Please click on the chart icon on the left in order to get to the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines we’ve tasted to date.

Conclusion: this is a very fine saperavi wine that has just passed over its prime form – noble, elegant and very well structured – a wine that can still age for another year or two before it will start its decline. The wine has been produced in a limited edition of only 3000 bottles, and, as is the norm for these kind of wines, it has been aged for 18 months in oak barrels and underwent another 30 months of bottle ageing. To be honest, this is not a classic saperavi wine, as there’s little flamboyance in it, instead, there’s finesse and elegance, and this my friends, this is pure delight. This is that kind of wine that requires delicate food pairing in order to open up and here balance is key – our recommendation is to pair it with meaty dishes rich in irony flavours, like for example a filet mignon steak with red wine reduction sauce, just remember to keep the filet mignon steak rare. Enjoy!

WineStatistics tasting results:

TIMBRUS
Saperavi | Oenologist Reserve | 2014

grape: | saperavi |

region: Moldova | Stefan-Voda

overall rating: | 91.8 |

maturity: over its prime

conclusion: fine | highly recommended

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(c) The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. There are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.