Nose
Delicious blackberry, black pepper, black plum and vanilla tones.
Palate
A bright balance of black plum, blackberry, black pepper, spice and refined oak notes. Medium plus acidity, rich velvety tannins and full body.
Growing Conditions
Askaneli Brothers is located in Georgia’s western Guria region, which is close to the Black Sea and has an unique humid subtropical climate from the mountain and sea air. Such a location makes it suitable for cultivating several rare grape varieties. The winery sits near the flowing Kurta River and vineyards throughout Kakheti range from 420-550m above sea level. Pruning: 2 twigs, vertical, Georgian.
Harvest
In order for grape bunches to ripen properly, excess leaves are removed. Akaneli believe that vines are living, sensitive organisms. “That is why Georgian folk polyphonic music sounds loudly over the Askaneli vineyards. The grapes will grow better and the wine will be tastier and more aromatic”. Healthy and ripe grapes are harvested by hand. Harvesting begins in late summer or early autumn and ends in late November. The earliest harvest takes place in Kakheti, the latest in western Georgia: Guria and Racha-Lechkhumi. White varieties are usually harvested earlier than reds to maintain the acidity. Red varieties take longer to ripen. The harvested grapes are placed in special 12kg boxes and delivered to the winery in order to avoid damage as much as possible.
Bottling
After a full cycle of ageing, the wine is prepared for bottling. The bottling is carried out by the company in accordance with the conditions specially created at the enterprise and ultra-modern equipment.
Winemaking
Before pressing, staff carefully select the grapes and sort them on a special mobile table. Immediately after squeezing the grape juice, the winemakers start making wine (fermentation, removal from the sediment, clarification, etc.). For the production of each wine, an individual, creative approach is used. The winery of the Askaneli Brothers is fully equipped with modern equipment for high-quality control of all the necessary technological processes. After pressing, the alcoholic fermentation process takes place with full skin contact. At the same time, specially selected yeast is added to the grape juice for fermentation. To preserve the sweetness of the wines, the process of stopping the fermentation process with low temperature is used. Fermentation temperatures range between 20-25 degrees C.
Aging
Saperavi wines are ripened and aged in qvevri (large earthenware clay jugs) according to the traditional Kakhetian technology. It is then racked off into oak barrels for 18 months before being transferred into bottles where it remains for an additional 6 months.
Appearance
A beautiful dark ruby colour.
Food Pairing
Hot meat dishes including steak, game, duck and goose. Also pairs well with cheese and BBQ vegetables. Ideal Temperature to serve at 15-18 C