Red Wine Dakishvili Family Selection Saperavi 2019. Decant up to an hour before serving. Dakishvili Family winery can be found in the village of Shalauri, in the centre of the ancient wine-making region of Kakheti, Georgia. The winery’s legacy dates back four generations and it is currently under the expert leadership of Giorgi and Temuri Dakishvili. Giorgi was formerly chief wine-maker at Teliani Valley but now works alongside his son to create an elegant range of native Georgian wines. The family’s vineyards are located in the Tsinandali PDO, surrounding Kondoli village. Vines are planted on the clayish, sandy soils of the Alazani riverbank, at a relatively high altitude of 400 metres. The vineyards showcase a mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon and indigenous fruits, such as Mtsvane, Kisi, and the pervasive Saperavi, Georgia’s flagship grape. Scents of rich blackberries, cassis and a hint of coffee burst from the bottle. This wine is a beautiful dark ruby in colour, typical of Saperavi. The grapes were fermented in Qvevri for 6 months, before being bottled without filtration. Tannins are well-structured, and combine with the taste of plum, jammy berries and a certain smokiness in the mouth, making this wine a delectable, full-bodied delight. Pair it with traditional Georgian dishes, grilled meats or mature cheeses.
2019
Red Wine Dakishvili Family Selection Saperavi 2019
Red Wine Danieli Saperavi 2019. It is recommended to decant it for half an hour. The Danieli winery is run by Eka Chviritidze and her husband Olaf Malver and produces only limited quantities of quality Georgian wines both with traditional and modern techniques. The couple mainly grows indigenous varieties such as Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, Kisi or Khikhvi. The winery is located in the micro-area of Argokhy, in the north-eastern part of the ancient wine region of Kakheti, an area particularly known for being the preferred habitat of the Kisi grape, but here also the Saperavi produces extraordinary wines. The grapes are organically grown. The Danieli Saperavi is made with 100% Saperavi grapes, a dark variety, indigenous to the Georgian Republic, grown to a large extent throughout the Caucasus and beyond in various regions of the former Soviet Republic. In recent decades it has proved capable of producing high quality wines. In Georgia, Saperavi’s best expression comes from the Kakheti region, near the eastern border with Azerbaijan. The wine has a typical deep ruby color with violet reflections. The nose is intense and pronounced, with aromas of ripe cherry, red fruits, and violets. In the mouth, it is concentrated and full-bodied with marked acidity and juicy flavors of red fruit. The tannins are firm but smooth. It will need a little extra time to develop, or maybe some food company, like duck, goose or game poultry.
2019
Red Wine Duckhorn Decoy Zinfandel 2019. Sourced from the Dry Creek and Alexander Valley regions in Sonoma County, well known for their old vine Zinfandel, the Duckhorn Decoy Zinfandel is a slightly more restrained and rustic version than many big, fruit bomb California Zin’s. Beginning with a boysenberry, leather, and mocha nose, this wine continues to a palate of velvety layers of chocolate, blueberry, and dark plum. A lingering smoky finish has nice acidity that helps to balance out the fruit character. Slow cooked beef brisket, barbecued ribs, or a grilled steak would be great paired with this wine. A rich, dark chocolate dessert would be a good match as well, with the fruit character rounding out the richness of a chocolate cake or mousse. Decoy chooses to highlight Sonoma County grapes in all of its wines, and has supported the appellation since its founding. The majority of the grapes for this wine come from 30-80 year old wines in the Alexander Valley and Dry Creek regions. Due to the old vines, the yields are fairly low, and as such more concentration of flavor is put into each grape. This leads to the incredibly luscious and vivid flavor that this Zinfandel has. To soften Zinfandel’s sometimes intense tannins, the team at Decoy also ages this wine for 10 months in 40% new, 60% neutral French Oak barrels.
2019