Deep purple-red color; black cherry, cranberry, black plum, blackberry, cedar, coffee, thyme, tobacco on the nose and palate.
Dry; significant, but silky tannins and balancing acidity. Rich, heavy mouthfeel. Medium-plus body. Made with 100% saperavi grapes, most-grown red grape in Georgia (rkatsiteli is the most-grown white). Vines as old as 80 years. Saperavi means “paint,” “dye,” or “give color” in Georgian, referencing the wine’s deep purple-ruby color. Saperavi is used to make wines with somewhat high alcohol—by Georgian—standards. Georgian wines tend to be in the 12% ABV range; this effort is 13.5% ABV. Saperavi is one of the world’s few teinturier grapes—it has red flesh in addition to its red skin. The result is the wine’s very distinct dark color. The wine is fermented in kveri (also “qvevri”—clay amphorae buried in the ground) on the skins, seeds, and stems for nine months. Aged one year in French oak. Bottled unfiltered.
German-born Burkhard Schuchmann founded his winery in 2008. A wine connoisseur, Schuchmann discovered Georgian wines through his travels. He hired native Georgian Georgi Dakishvili, a third generation winemaker, to manage production. The winery is located in the village of Kisiskhevi in Eastern Georgia’s wine district, Kakheti. Kakheti is known for its beauty—landscapes, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, historical landmarks, and wineries. The district makes some 75% of the wine made in Georgia. Georgia likely is where humans first produced wine, and winemaking traditions in Kakheti date back at least 6,000 years. The winery prides itself on using traditional Georgian techniques paired with German ingenuity “to produce age-worthy and memorable wines.”
Schuchmann Wines Vinoterra Saperavi Kakhetian Dry Red Wine, Kakheri, Georgia 2021 is a hearty, intensely dark wine that showcases Georgia’s signature red grape, saperavi. Complex flavors result from both the grape and the wine’s fermentation in kveri/qvervi—clay pots buried in the ground. Georgia likely is where humans first began intentional wine production more than 6,000 years ago, and its wine tradition has enjoyed a significant rebound since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Excellent value, well worth finding and giving it a taste.
The wine can be enjoyed on its own or paired with neutral crackers or bread to appreciate the nuances of a grape you likely have not experienced before, made using techniques that are not common. Even batter paired with hearty food—potato and cheese casserole; grilled and roasted meats—duck, goose, other game birds. Lamb. Barbecued beef, pork, chicken. Earthy dishes featuring mushrooms, lentils, eggplant. Meat-lover pizza, lasagna. Cheese—hard, aged cheeses; aged cheddar, gouda, parmesan, pecorino, blue cheese. $23-26
