Saperavi

Saperavi is a noble red variety originating in Georgia, the historic cradle of world viticulture, where it is the most widely planted black grape and an essential component of the millennial Georgian wine tradition. Its name translates as "dye", a direct reference to its exceptional pigmentation: Saperavi is one of the few teinturier varieties, in which not only the skin but also the flesh of the berry is intensely coloured, giving the wines an almost opaque deep red colour with violet reflections.

Although Georgian in origin, Saperavi has acclimatised very well in the Republic of Moldova, becoming a traditional and highly regarded variety in local viticulture. It buds not especially early, ripens late and has good resistance to frost and drought, which makes it suited to the country's continental climate. In Moldova it is grown above all in the southern regions, where abundant heat and long autumns favour the accumulation of colour, sugars and rich extractive substances, essential for its powerful wines.

Characteristics of the wine

Saperavi wines are full-bodied, intensely coloured, with high acidity and robust tannins, which gives them remarkable ageing potential. Aromatically, they reveal notes of black fruit such as blackberry, blackcurrant, plum and black cherry, completed by liquorice, tobacco and spices, especially pepper. Matured in oak barrels, as is frequently the custom in Moldova, the wine takes on shades of smoke, chocolate and vanilla, becoming dense, complex and imposing. This powerful structure recommends it both for characterful single-variety wines and as an element of colour and body in blends.

Food pairings

Saperavi's powerful structure and firm tannins recommend it for substantial, boldly flavoured dishes: beef and lamb roasts, game, grilled meats and spiced stews. Matured cheeses, dishes with intense sauces and preparations from Caucasian or traditional Moldovan cooking stand up very well to the intensity and force of this wine, the tannins being balanced by the richness of the food.

In Moldova, Saperavi is vinified by several prestigious wineries, among them Château Vartely and Gitana Winery, either as an expressive single-variety wine or in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon and Rară Neagră, where its contribution of deep colour and structure is particularly valuable, adding to the diversity and force of Moldovan red wines.