£17.60–£19, D’Arcy Wine, NY Wines, Latitude Wine, Theatre of Wine, Drinkmonger
A compelling unfiltered Georgian Saperavi that sees no oak and has no need of it. It's typically dense and deep in colour, intense, fragrant and darkly fruity – all damsons and elderberries woven with woodsmoke, black tapenade and liquorice – and framed by dry, but cashmere-soft tannins and elegant, tangy freshness.
It's made by Teliani Valley Winery 97 (no prizes for guessing they were established in 1997) from their own vineyards in the Tsinandali appellation in the heart of Kakheti, Georgia's most important wine region.
Try it with beef and lamb casseroles (especially with olives), slow cooked lamb with feta and pomegranate, venison stews, goulash, or Georgian dishes such as lamb chakapuli (which can also be made with oyster mushrooms).
Or try it out on roast turkey and the cacophany of accompaniments, including feisty cranberry sauce. You could even throw in some Georgian blue fenugreek to give it all a steer. 13%. Empty bottle weight: 648g.
There’s also a filtered version of the same wine (around £13) and a limited production qvevri-fermented Saperavi from a specially favoured terroir called Kisiskhevi (around £21), which are well worth looking out for.
Teliani Valley Winery 97 Unfiltered Saperavi 2020, Kakheti, Georgia
£17.60–£19, D’Arcy Wine, NY Wines, Latitude Wine, Theatre of Wine, Drinkmonger