A couple of dozen wineries presently grow the Saperavi variety on the Australian mainland in diverse climatic conditions with it seems great promise for its future.
It is one of those rare grape varieties that not only have black skins but red coloured pigment in the pulp (anthocyanin). The French use the term teinturier to describe these 'painted' or 'dyed' varieties.
Highly acidic and powerfully tannic, this ancient native of Georgia in the former Soviet Union needs strong flavours to match its intense and serious spicy personality.
Joseph Stalin was said to imbibe in it and I could imagine Vlad the Putin now chugging back a few in the Kremlin as he reminisces about past annexations and plans for future forays !
This was surprisingly my first adventure with the mysterious Saperavi and it was an enthralling experience.
There is a dense, inky colour, almost black in the glass.
Brooding aromas of rich dark fruits, confectionery, cacao, star anise and smoke.
Difficult to drink initially, not much fun at the time. A little tight and astringent at first but the flavours persisted on the palate opening up to reveal a solid core of dark cherry and dark chocolate with complexity added by dry twigs and savoury notes of white pepper and star anise. To me the wine only revealed a little of its full potential so it could easily cellar for many years to come.
Carries the alcohol well with good balance and a persistent savoury aftertaste.
This powerful variety is well worth investigating and at the price, this one is excellent value.
Source: Retail. ABV: 15.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $15.00. Rating: 90+ Points.
Website: http://www.rvic.org.au/cirami_estate_wines.php
No comments:
Post a Comment