WTN: Saperavi!

Monastery Blessed!

2007 Shavnabada Saperavi (Kelkhati)

With burgers (a somewhat fancy wine for midweek burgers, but...)

Dark red in color. Strong minerally, almost metallic character-but in a good way. Plum skin and earth. Powerful tannins! Even after 11 years. Very interesting and not like anything I have really had. Other Saperavdis have had a more floral, Syrah-ish character. This was more minerally and stony and earthy. Bottle age?

Kelkhati

That'll be "Kakheti" I guess - the region in Eastern Georgia, where most Georgian wine comes from.

Thanks for the note, which I can easily believe describes a Saperavi from Kakheti, where they usually give plenty of skin contact.. Can you remember which other ones you have tasted?

Kelkhati

That'll be "Kakheti" I guess - the region in Eastern Georgia, where most Georgian wine comes from.

Thanks for the note, which I can easily believe describes a Saperavi from Kakheti, where they usually give plenty of skin contact.. Can you remember which other ones you have tasted?

That's the correct spelling, Steve.

Pheasant's Tears comes to my memory. And a winery owned by a German company-can't remember the name. Villa?

Saperavi...I am quite a fan and have posted TNs here.

I have yet to try a Sapervi, but that should change soon, as a local winery, owned by friends Kim & Kathy Baker of Chateau Niagara have plantings and their wine recently won a bronze medal at the Sapervi World Tasting http://sapprize.hvino.com/2018/02/saperavi-world-prize-2017-awards-list.html?m=1

It's been a very long time since I've had a Saperavi, but my memory is that they are a bit on the sweet side. Am I confusing them with a different Georgian wine?

Pheasant's Tears comes to my memory. And a winery owned by a German company-can't remember the name. Villa?

Thanks. The German company is probably Schuchmann. I've tasted a couple of their Saperavi, and am quite familiar with the Pheasants Tears one. Can't remember them being Syrah-like, but I will check next time I try one.

It's been a very long time since I've had a Saperavi, but my memory is that they are a bit on the sweet side. Am I confusing them with a different Georgian wine?

Some Georgian reds are semi-sweet - the Russians like them. So you might have drunk a semi-sweet Saperavi, but it is more to do with the winemaking than the Saperavi grape. Not sure how many are like that, but most of the ones I have encountered have been dry.

I am selective in my Saperavi purchases but have never tasted a sweet one.

I am selective in my Saperavi purchases but have never tasted a sweet one.

Nor I. Either "ferrous" like this one, or peppery sorta like a Syrah.

Georgia has an appellation system, and the names Kindzmarauli and Akhasheni are used only for semi-sweet Saperavi from those two particular regions. If you want to try them, wine-searcher shows that they are both available in the US.

I would be cautious of characterising Saperavi from a small sample size, as they can be very different. I recently wrote about two dry Saperavi wines made in qvevri, which I thought made an interesting contrast
http://www.winenous.co.uk/wp/archives/11364

Interesting notes, Steve.

My wine was closer to the Pheasant's Tears, with even more (potentially) alcohol. As it was 10 years old, your wine might bear some aging.

Everyone says they will keep, and it seems logical to me too. I might try putting a bottle or two aside, but the trouble is I like them so much now. I don't think it is a particularly Georgian thing to lay bottles down, the tradition being more to keep it a bit in qvevri and then ladle it out to drink - not that that need stop us of course. Haven't noticed many tasting notes of wines older than yours!

Frank and McGregor in the Finger Lakes have Saperavi. Both are in the $30 range. The Georgians are good and much less expensive.

I have yet to try a Sapervi, but that should change soon, as a local winery, owned by friends Kim & Kathy Baker of Chateau Niagara have plantings and their wine recently won a bronze medal at the Sapervi World Tasting http://sapprize.hvino.com/2018/02/saperavi-world-prize-2017-awards-list.html?m=1

Thanks, Howie. Have to try this next time I'm in the Niagara area. Did they get their plantings from MacGregor on Kueka Lake (they've been working with it for years, since they started in the 80's I believe)?