2018 Pheasant's Tears Saperavi

Community Tasting Notes (1) Avg Score: 78.5 points

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  9/2/2019 - forceberry wrote: 92 Points

  A very traditionalist Georgian Saperavi: made in a non-interventionist fashion from Saperavi grapes that are crushed and moved to earthenware kvevris to ferment. After the fermentation is complete, the kvevri is sealed with the wine, grape skins and stems. The wine is left to age on the skins for 6 months, after which the wine is racked to another kvevri to settle. Bottled with minimal sulfites. 12,5% alcohol.
  
  Dense, fully opaque and quite youthful purplish black color. Sweet, dense and still rather lactic nose with bold, concentrated aromas of blueberry pie, ripe dark plums, some blackcurrant jam, a little bit of ink and light floral notes of violets. The wine is ripe yet surprisingly dry, crunchy and medium-bodied on the palate with lively flavors of tart lingonberries, fresh blackcurrants, some blueberry yoghurt, a little bit of ripe bilberry, a hint of sweet plummy fruit and a touch of sappy herbal spice. Overall the taste is remarkably pure and fruity for a Pheasant's Tears wine since the wines are quite known for the noticeably funky overall character. The wine feels very balanced with the structure relying surprisingly on the high acidity instead of the tannins that feel surprisingly ripe and round, only growing slowly in intensity by piling up on the gums. The finish is juicy, fresh and gently grippy with bright flavors of blackcurrants, some lactic blueberry yoghurt tones, a little bit of tart lingonberry, a hint of inky character and a sweet touch of ripe plummy fruit.
  
  A very nice and really tasty Saperavi that feels remarkably pure and clean for a Pheasant's Tears wine, but also all too primary; the overall taste is quite dominated by the lactic notes of blueberry yoghurt, and I imagine it will take some years before they disappear. Good stuff that is bound to get better with age. Perhaps now a bit all over the place, but will definitely get better as it settles down and loses that lactic tone.

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