I knew there were red grapes that had red flesh, and subsequently red juice, but I didn’t know they had a name. That name is teinturier grapes. Saperavi is a teinturier type grape. I’m sure there are others but I only know of one other; Alicante Bouchet. In French, teinturier means to dye or stain and, as much as Saperavi has the red flesh, I’ve no doubt the juice has been suitably dyed or stained by coming in contact with the dark skin of the grape. I must say, it presents like a glistening puddle of deep purple goodness in the glass.
The grapes themselves are (generally) pretty big and thin skinned like pinot noir but not as temperamental. Winemakers need to be careful with this grape variety because, from what I’ve read, it can come across as extracted and acidic. Apart from the pleasant acidity this one has, it certainly didn’t come across as extracted. The rich fruit was oh so perfectly dominant.
It’s typically Sapervi. Pretty intense and full of flavour. Blackberries, boysenberries and dark plums fill out the palate. There’s an earthiness about it that’s sort of like fresh, out of your garden, beetroot (if you know what I mean) and there’s a downright delicious licorice note too that carries it all to a fruit filled finish. All sorts of yum!
Another terrific wine at such a good price. I don’t know how Marnie does it.
Region: Riverland, SA Price: $22 Source: Gift courtesy of Marnie Roberts
Words from a Wine Glass 