2022
Shivini
Type: Red, Dry
Grape: Sev Areni 55% / Haghtanak 33% / Nrneni 17%
Producer: Crow’s Rock Winery.
At Crow’s Rock the boundaries are made to be broken. The founder Mher Mheryan, an Armenian who returned to his birthplace after living most of his life in sunny California, leaving a conventional path behind to pursue a wilder calling. After studying winemaking in Armenia, he launched a rebellious, small-scale project rooted in organic farming, native yeasts, and fearless experimentation. His wines are raw, honest, and deeply expressive.
Region: Vayotz Dzor, Ararat
Tasting Notes: Violet in color, expressive nose of ripe, jammy black berries, forest flowers, coffee, baking spice. Medium body, chewy texture, structured tannins, and lively acidity, offering notes of ripe black fruit, black pepper, dried tomato, with a long juicy finish. Ready now but will benefit with age, long aging potential.
Vinification: Fermented wild with 60% whole clusters in open-top Armenian oak barrels, this blend showcases raw power and layered complexity. Aged 7 months in used Armenian oak, the wine was bottled without fining or filtration on June 20, 2023. Just 600 bottles were made—a very llimited release with long aging potential.
Food Pairing: This robust, age-worthy wine stands up to rich, flavorful dishes like grilled short ribs, duck confit, black bean stew, or smoked eggplant with tahini. Also excellent with mole sauces, hard cheeses like aged Manchego, or wild mushroom ragù over creamy polenta.