(2024) Re-energised after the country gained independence in the early 90s, Georgia's Tblivino is one of the better known names on export markets, though this rosé is a new wine for me. Deeper in colour than most wines in this report, redcurrant and raspberry on the nose, before the palate showing some of Saperavi's tannin and gravelly bite, to give this gastronomic appeal.
(2024) From Teliani's Winery 97, fruit is hand-harvested in the Kakheti region. 50,000 bottles were produced. A very vibrant purple wine, the nose is sappy and fresh, reminding me of both Beaujolais and Mencia perhaps. Cherry and briar come through. In the mouth that sense of freshness and sappy, juicy character continues, the wine having that dry and lightly herbal character, but with good texture, freshness and a bit of endive or liquorice bite.
(2024) Fermented in stainless steel, but this unfiltered cuvée is a selection of fruit. I am not sure if it sees a touch of oak, but if so, very much in the background. Dark dense and vivid purple. The nose has a little more brooding character than the more expressive entry level wine, but there's gloss and depth, a slightly more black-fruited character too with just a hint of sweet earth. In the mouth certainly more rounded and textural through the mid-palate, the fruit like blackberries and damsons with hints of smoke and spice. Still that good juiciness and enough tannic grip into the finish. 25,000 bottles were produced.
(2021) After fermentation in stainless-steel, thirty percent was aged in French oak barrels for a short period. A very much more modern, perhaps even international style here, with plum, cherry and liquorice aromas, some brightness and pot-pourri lift to the aromas, saffron and vanilla in the background. On the palate it is smooth and unruffled, plenty of creamy black fruit and crowd-pleasing ripeness. Does it lack a little Georgian personality? Arguably yes, but it is a fine and delicious wine of character and class. £13.50 by the case from justincases at time of review.
(2021) From vineyards at an altitude of 450 - 480 metres in Kakheti, this was matured in French Oak barrels for one year (Seguin Moreau, Sylvain) 30% of which were new. Darker and more brooding than Tblivino's upfront example of Saperavi, and yet there is a similar velvety density of black fruit touched with those violet notes. Great polish and suaveness. In the mouth really lovely fruit - so sweet and fleshy, like the darkest and ripest of black plums, really good balance as tight tannins grip and the acidity squeezes the finish into a long, dry but tapered elegance.
(2021) From eighteen-year-old vineyards in Kakheti, this is from one of the bigger producers, the wine quite widely available. It was fermented in and spent five months in qvevri and again has quite a deep yellow-to-amber colour. There's an orange and apricot quality on the nose here, juicy and citrussy, a suggestion of honey and light waxiness too. In the mouth the fruit is significantly sweeter than the Château Mukhrani Qvevri white, again some honey, but then a salty lemon core of acidity pushes on to the bone-dry finish.
(2021) From Kakheti in eastern Georgia, this is 100% Saperavi and I believe it spends a short time in oak. It's a powerful wine, with some Italian tinned tomato character on the nose, spices and plum. In the mouth there's a twist of liquorice, but fleshy black plum fruit too that is sweet and mouth-filling, maybe event a touch of cocoa in there. The axis of tannin and keen acidity certainly gives it a bit of bite too, long and fresh in the finish.
