CHATEAU DÉNOVIE | Saperavi | 2016
saperavi

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Today we are going to review a single-varietal saperavi wine from the Valul lui Traian region – Saperavi 2016 by Chateau Dénovie. Saperavi is a teinturier grape variety, which means that the flesh of the berry is also dark, thus the wines are very deep in color with high natural 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 high-quality saperavi wines and Moldova is one of them. That said, without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: deep ruby
clarity: hazy garnet

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & nutty
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: black plum | black cherry | blackcurrant
fruit character: overripe & dried

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | sweet | animal | other
__spice: black pepper 
__oak: tobacco | tree bark
__sweet: walnut jam | black plum jam
__animal: barnyard | horse saddle | leather
__other: walnut | dust | hazelnut | hints of oxidation
__wood: old / medium roast

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: med(+)
tannin: med(+)
__grip: fine
balance: fair
__dominant: alcohol & acidity
body: opulent | medium

//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: dried
non fruit: other
finish: medium
aftertaste: seedy & tart

//Scoring
CHATEAU DÉNOVIE | Saperavi | 2016
variety: saperavi
country: Moldova
region: Valul lui Traian
rating: 89.3

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | close to decline
verdict: fair | not bad
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This is definitely a fair wine of Moldova and, with a total of 89.3 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a fair saperavi wine that is very close to the decline slope, thus a win that you should drink today rather than tomorrow. It feels slightly oxidized, with plenty of dried black fruits and fruit jam on the nose and a very nuanced, nutty-dusty accent on the palate. The wine tastes round, tart and opulent, with fine-grained, grippy tannins and a seedy-tart finale. This wine lacks harmony between its elements and feels a bit off the balance, presumably due to excessive oxygen exposure during the maturation phase. Despite its angularity, the wine has a very noble savory background, with hints of leather and barnyard, which makes ia a perfect food partner for meaty dishes, especially those rich in natural flavours, like lamb or veal. Our recommendation would be to aerate this wine at least 25-30 minutes before serving, as it will open up the wine, which will deliver a very appealing grippy sensation on the moutheel, supported by a pleasant alcoholic warmth and a spicy-rich finale. Cheers!
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