The colour is medium ruby. On the nose a hint of red cherries and raspberries, with a lot of acetone. In the mouth raw, with drying tannins. The aftertaste is long.
Saperavi is a dark-skinned, pink-fleshed grape variety grown widely throughout the Caucasus. It is originally from Georgia and its best expression comes from the Kakheti region, near the eastern border with Azerbaijan, where this wine has been made.
Saperavi is the main red grape variety of Georgia, Rkatsiteli the main white one, but Georgia is home to at least 525 distinct grape varieties, of which about 45 are currently used to commercially produce wine.
This bottle is produced using the traditional Georgian clay wine fermenting amphoras, “Qvevri”, by Paul Rodzianko. Paul is an American citizen, who owns and runs the Cradle of Wine marani (winery) in Sighnaghi. I met Paul when I visited Georgia in 2016. I went to his winery for a wine tasting and ended up being invited to join him and some friends that were visiting for dinner.
It has been a very pleasant dinner, during which I learned a lot about the deep role that wine plays in the Georgian culture. A culture filled with legends, ceremonies, and traditions that express a deep bond with winemaking. After all, archaeological evidence suggests that primitive wine production first began 6000 to 8000 years ago in the Caucasus region.
Georgia’s wine producers flourished in the Middle Ages, when the eastern Mediterranean region was invaded by Crusaders. As a Christian nation, Georgia was left unscathed by the Crusades, and was able to develop its agriculture and commerce in relative peace. Later, it remained outside of the Ottoman Empire, whose Islamic Sharia law prohibited wine consumption. Wine production flourished in Georgia until the arrival of phylloxera, which devastated most of its vineyards in the late 19th Century. When Georgia came under Soviet control, vineyards were replanted to meet expanded demand. During the Soviet era, a sizeable proportion of the Soviet Union’s wine was made in Georgia.
Typical of Georgian winemaking is the use of “Qvevri” (or “Kvevri”): massive clay wine fermenting amphoras that are kept underground in the marani (wine cellar) for temperature consistency. “Qvevri” are also used for wine storage.
I didn’t have much expectation for this 6 years old natural wine. The natural wines I tasted while visiting Georgia 5 years ago were mostly difficult to enjoy. Back then Paul’s wines were among the most enjoyable. Seems like the ageing didn’t help in improving the content of this bottle.
I don’t remember exactly how much I paid for this wine. Probably around 15 USD.
Country: Georgia
Region: Kakheti
Grapes: Saperavi
Type: Red
Vintage: 2015
Producer: Cradle of Wine marani
Price range: Economic (<15 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 1/5