Nose

Cherry, wild berry, blackberry, and blackcurrant aromas come through with savoury saucy notes, |It also shows hints of vanilla, spicy cloves, and smokiness

Palate

An elegantly structured palate that is vibrant and savoury with polished tannins. Meaty and juicy, it is well balanced with complexity and body.

Growing Conditions

The Saperavi grapes for this wine come from 60+ year old vines cultivated in the Kvareli area of Kakheti. These old vine vineyards represent the authentic history and tradition of the terroir ‘Kindzmarauli’, known for their prominent schist soils. The method of pruning and green operations aim to maintain the health and longevity of the single vines that yield this outstanding quality grapes.

Harvest

Saperavi grapes are tasted to ascertain the ripeness of the tannins and the balance within the bunches in order to establish the optimum harvest time and the vinification technique for the grapes from each parcel of the land. The desired ripeness is reached by the end of October, when the grapes are hand-picked before sunrise. The yield is about 4.5 tons per hectare. The grapes are transported to the cellar by special stainless-steel truck fastened containers, that weigh about 2 tons.

Bottling

The wine undergoes a single filtration process, is bottled by gravitational bottling method, and has a natural cork closure.

Winemaking

After grape pressing, about 15% of the grape juice is extracted off the must to increase concentration. The vinification is done in 2.5-ton Qvevri vessels, where the wine undergoes both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation spontaneously. The wine is matured with their skins and stems for 3 months and afterwards in oak barrels for 9 months. The winemaker is Vano Shiukashvili.

Aging

The wine was matured in 2,5 ton Qvevri for 3 months, then in 225lt oak barrels for 9 months, before being finally aged in bottle.

Appearance

Velvet cherry colour with rich brick tones.

Food Pairing

Grilled red meat, lamb dishes and matured cheeses. Served at 18-20°C, high ageing potential. Decanted for about 30-40 minutes before serving.