Chateau Chizay Cabernet Sauvignon (75cl, 13%)

Chateau Chizay Cabernet Sauvignon is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon red wine from Ukraine's Zakarpattia region, bottled at 13% ABV in a 750ml bottle. Produced by Chateau Chizay, the first Ukrainian winery to sign the Porto Protocol for sustainable viticulture, it is a single-vineyard expression from volcanic soils around Berehove. The Berehove vineyard sits at about 150 metres elevation on a south-west-facing slope of 8-10 degrees, with predominantly volcanic soils plus pockets of limestone and loam. The wine spends nine months ageing in French oak barrels. The nose opens with intense ripe blackcurrant and blackberry, followed by cherry and dried herbs, with dark chocolate and warming spice from the French oak. The palate is juicy and full-bodied, with lush blackberry and plum, delicate spice, a rounded mouthfeel and slightly sweet, velvety tannins. The finish is long and warming, with lingering cassis and a subtle whisper of oak.