Sipping Saperavi

I had my first taste of Saperavi a few years ago on a cycling tour through the wine regions of South Australia (think Barossa, Clare and McLaren Vale) and one of my fellow tour buddies – also a wine enthusiast – suggested to me that we ditch cycling in McLaren Vale for the afternoon and instead go wine tasting at Hugh Hamilton Wines.  Hugh is renowned for doing things differently - there is a good reason why he has a statue of a black sheep near the tasting room – and is also known for his wines made from Saperavi.  We had to be dragged out of the tasting room by the tour leader – the rest of the group were waiting for us - and a couple of bottles of Saperavi came home with me.

When a tasting of wines - mainly from Georgia - crossed my radar, I couldn’t resist renewing my acquaintance with this grape variety.

La Petite Mort Saperavi Qvevri 2022 (Queensland)

My first sip of this wine gave me flavours of sour black cherry and black raspberry – think black.  The fruit flavours quickly dissipated, leaving a strong tannic grip in the mouth which crescendoed.  The savoury flavours then came through and dominated – think soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, white pepper and green hedgerow – enhancing and integrating well with the tannin profile.

A wine with a strong character and matching intensity - do not even think of matching it with white meats as it would completely overwhelm them.  Instead, it would match beautifully with wild boar, venison, beef, mushrooms and lentil dishes.  It would also go well with Cantonese and Schechuan dishes that have strong soy or pepper flavours.

An incredibly interesting wine and not quite what I was expecting.

Rating:  Delish              Price: AUD 48

Ori Marani Saperavi “Nita” 2023 (Georgia)

Ah – this was what I was expecting from a Saperavi!  Dark and inky with gorgeous bright red fruit characteristics.  Intense red plum, red cherry, raspberry and pomegranate flavours abounded.  Beautifully balanced with some tannin coming through to support the fruit on a long finish.

This wine needs to be drunk with strongly flavoured dark foods – again think venison, wild boar and beef dishes with cranberries, black and red currants, and even prunes.

A bottle came home with me – need I say more?  Just a pity  - for me - that Hugh Hamilton’s Saperavi is currently sold out, so I cannot do an immediate direct comparison.

Rating: Bloody Delish        Price: AUD 57