Peculiarities of vinification. This wine is crafted from the autochthonous Caucasian grape variety, Saperavi, harvested from the specially selected best vineyard block with the yield restricted to 6 tons per hectare. The grapes were picked by hand when their ‘technological ripeness’ coincided with the ‘polyphenolic maturity.’ Fermentation in pigeage tanks. Malolactic fermentation on skins. Maturation in French oak barriques for 1 year, with subsequent bottle maturation for at least 6 months.
Unlike A Hundred Shades of Red, this wine was not exposed to certain technological processes and filtration, but bottled immediately from the barrique.
Sensory characteristics. Colour: dark-ruby. Well-developed notes of oak maturation with nuances of prunes, sloe, chocolate and vanilla. Taste: extractive, velvety and fresh, with an intensive fruity finish.
Food pairing: grilled meat, mtsvadi (Georgian shashlik) and soft cheeses.
To be served at 16 – 18° C.
Important! In Georgian, Saperavi means ‘painter’, ‘dye’, ‘colour giver’, because the berries of this grape variety contain a great number of anthocyans (a colouring matter), so do not wonder if your mouth and the glass will become coloured after you have tasted this wine.
“The flavour is rather compound (but could be even more compound), with an above-the-medium intensity level. The tertiary flavours are distinctive, yet the varietal aromas continue to dominate: blackberries and black plum. A well-balanced wine with a medium-long aftertaste. 88/100.
Appraisal by the WineIncognito jury, Moscow, 2019