Saperavi is actually a grape variety. Georgian breeders brought him back to time immemorial. In translation, the word "saperavi" simply means "paint." And this name was not given to grapes by chance.
If the blue flesh of other varieties has white flesh on the cut, the saperavi has red flesh. Drinks from this grape have such a rich purple color with violet tint that the “dyer” willingly blended with other types to give a beautiful shade. There is a special term for characterizing the color “Saperavi”: the wine is impenetrably red.
Vines are extremely resilient to cold and drought (but not to rain). Due to this flexibility, saperavi is cultivated not only in its homeland, in Kakheti, but also far beyond the borders of Georgia: in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova. In southern Russia, Russian Michurinians bred a frost-resistant hybrid “Northern Saperavi”. Wine from such berries under the hands of a true master comes out very good. Of particular note is the Crimean Bastardo, produced in Magarach. However, nowhere is saperavi fully disclosed as in its own country, Georgia.
Berries of this variety exhibit unique technological flexibility. From them you can make dry, semi-sweet, dessert and liquor wines. Elements such as tannins give the drink an unprecedented astringency and aroma, a long, vibrating finish. Of course, “Saperavi” is a varietal wine, but in Georgia it is produced with a dozen blending wines, which include a “dyer”. You can talk about them for hours. Among the best it is worth noting the red “Alazani Valley”, “Akhasheni”, “Kindzmarauli”, “Pirosmani” and “Mukuzani”. But in every blend Saperavi dominates. Because this wine is with character.
This drink has been produced since the nineteenth century, namely from 1886, that is, it has a solid tradition. The best of all Georgian “Saperavi” is a wine aged ten to twelve years, the material for which grew in the Gurjaan appellation (microzone) of Kakheti. In general, this drink ripens late, but it is stored for a long time. “Husband” saperavi at the age of four, and remains excellent until thirty when it becomes viscous and thick, like ragweed. But most wine houses, of course, sell young wines of one or two years of aging.
The taste of the drink, its strength and aroma directly depend on age. Young Georgian wine “Saperavi”, the price of a bottle of which even in expensive Moscow is 390 rubles (and in Georgia about five lari), is easily drunk like the Italian “Sangiovese”. It has a fresh blackberry smell, harmonious and pleasant taste, a strength of 10.5 degrees. It is recommended to be served with fatty dishes: rice, barbecue, satsivi.
More mature wine "Saperavi" reviews are called very extravagant, bright, temperamental. The characteristic astringency - a trace of tannins - makes the drink memorable. The amazing taste of black currant and cherry seed won this drink many medals at international competitions. This is not the kind of wine that is drunk every day. Thick, "with a tear", with an amazing bouquet, it will not leave anyone indifferent.