NINE OAKS SAPERAVI [sa-pe-ravi]
This is no ordinary red grape. There are thousands of red grapes but only a handful have red flesh like this one. "Teinturier" this is the fancy French term for red fleshed grapes like Saperavi. Pretty special right? This is a whole new red wine experience.
ORIGIN
LOCATION: Kakheti-Eniseli, Georgia
VARIETY: 100% Saperavi - Black Red
VINTAGE: 2018
ABV: 14%
WINEMAKER: Mamuka Khurtsidze
CHARACTER
The dark flesh of the grape expresses a deep purple hue, signifying body and power. Aromatics of black fruits like currant, blackberry, and plum balance with savory, peppery notes and dry earth. This Saperavi is a full bodied, dry wine that is dense and satisfying with relaxed tannins.
BEST RESULTS: Serve 15°C-18°C / 60-65° F. Treat yourself to a fancy decanter. Enjoy 15 to 30 minutes after decanting.
PAIR WITH: It has a meaty presence, perfect for cooler nights and hearty comfort foods. Pairs with rich roasted meats, mildly spiced foods, and hard cheeses; hearty soul foods and Chinese beef or vegetarian dishes.
EXPRESSION
FERMENTATION: Destemmed, naturally fermented without additional yeast, the grapes are left to macerate and ferment with their skins for up to 28 days in large 5600 liter Qvevri at a steady temperature of 72° F. Qvevri are handmade clay pots buried under ground.
After one month of fermentation and maceration the wine is racked off into tanks for 60 days with additional lees contact. Finally, the wine is racked again to remove lees. Bottled after one year.
FINING & FILTERING: No fining, cold stabilized, vegan.
SULFUR: A very small amount of sulfur (about 5 ppm) is added after fermentation before the first racking. Never before bottling.
SOURCE
FARMING: Organic farming with wild grasses growing in the vineyards. No chemicals used, only copper and sulfur to protect the vines between April and August, organic fertilizers.
LAND: 8 hectares planted. Located at 1,300 feet a.s.l in the Kindzmarauli subzone. Alluvial soils of sandy loam mixed with red calcareous clays high in iron, called “cinnamonic.”
VINE: Young cuttings planted in 2012, single cordon trellising.
HARVEST: Hand-harvested and sorted fruit.
“The Soul Of The Winemaker, Reflects The Body And Soul of The Wine.”