Grape variety

Saperavi

Red wine · Kakheti

Georgia’s signature red grape and one of the few teinturier varieties: not only the skins but also the flesh is coloured. This gives Saperavi its exceptionally deep colour, often almost black in the glass.

Colour: Red
Home region: Kakheti, Eastern Georgia
Harvest: October
Acidity: High

Origin

Native to Kakheti in eastern Georgia, Saperavi is now grown on around 18,000 hectares across the country by more than 15,000 growers. Its remarkable cold tolerance has also taken it to Moldova, Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Finger Lakes in New York and Australia.

The name

Saperavi means ‘the one that dyes’ in Georgian, a reference to the grape’s intensely coloured juice.

In the vineyard

Late-ripening and remarkably cold-hardy. Our Saperavi comes from Chailuri in Kakheti, from vines over 30 years old growing on limestone soils at around 800 metres above sea level.

The grapes

Small, blue-black berries with deeply coloured flesh.

Taste and aroma

Blackberry, black cherry, plum and violets, with notes of liquorice and dark chocolate. Fine, ripe tannins and the structure to age beautifully.

How we make it

We ferment Saperavi spontaneously in qvevri, with the skins but without stems. The wine then ages for six months in a second qvevri. Our premium Saperavi benefits from several years of bottle ageing and has the potential to develop beautifully over decades.

Food pairings

Grilled meats, slow-cooked dishes and mature cheeses. In Georgia, Saperavi is traditionally enjoyed with mtsvadi, meat skewers grilled over vine cuttings.

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