On the way to Ilisu, Azerbaijan. Part 4: The Chabiant winery.
In part 3 of our journey to the northern mountainous region from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, I mentioned the Meysari winery offering a very modern experience in sleek style. But if you are in a more chilled mood to enjoy peace & quiet in a private setting with less Instagram-like content, your next retreat awaits you a little further away, in a nearby region of Ismayilli, also traditionally known for its wines. To make the most out of it we stayed at the Chabiant winery and its estate ‘The Chateau Monolit’.
The first impression of our overnight stay with family and friends was a totally chilled atmosphere, and so was my last one when leaving the place. I’d definitely come here again to catch the same relaxed feeling.
The scenery welcomes you with beautifully aligned, green striped lines on a field, quintessential vineyards, and the estate’s slovenly but naturally looking front gardens. That sets you up straight away for a relaxed vibe. The surrounding facilities, including the hotel and villas, take you back to the past in certain sections, but all is solid and clean.
The wall decor of the mountain Caucasian rider in national dress and the French-sounding ‘Chateau Monolit’ is amusingly contrasting, but somehow equally harmonious for the local setting.
The impressively enormous vintage cellar, to which you will surely be invited, is a must-do for wine tasting. In between clearing your palate after each wine, you will see a curious and old collection of the Azerbaijani wines produced during the Soviet period. I enjoyed simply looking at the vintage labels which once were very popular. From what I could gather from the tour, it took some time in the post-Soviet era for the winery to reconfigure and upgrade to new technologies and international standards of wine-making. Help from Italian expertise evidently went well, judging by the popularity of the Chabiant wines in the local market as well as impressed visitors and wine connoisseurs who travel here from all over the world. Whilst we couldn’t enjoy the benefits of the harvest season (i.e. missing the chance to take part in the wine festival and harvest celebrations) we were still enlightened by the local guide on the wine-making process. Moreover, enlightenment came upon us as soon as we delved into wine tasting and the delicious feast that followed. Out of all grape varieties they grow at the winery — Madrasa (Azerbaijani), Saperavi (Georgian), Cabernet-Sauvignon (French), Rkatsiteli (Georgian), Bayan Shira (Azerbaijani), Mtzvane (Georgia) — the first two are the most popular choices in Azerbaijan. However, first place on my list was without doubt the Bayan Shira variety — a very subtle but aromatic white wine. It was a true discovery. The familiar Cabernet-Sauvignon will never disappoint you if you’re into this grape; but the Georgian grapes of Rkatsiteli-Mtzvane were a new addition to my list of Georgian wines, so familiar to us because they were highly regarded and widely consumed in the former USSR. The Georgian wines had the same flair and sound as the French and Italian wines have for Europeans.
And at last, not on the subject, but funnily enough, I will also remember this place for the best coffee in Azerbaijan. Maybe I was just lucky or maybe they know how to brew coffee as well as make wines.
