Smooth, satisfying dark-fruit wine made in the country where archaeology indicates human wine production began 8,000 years ago. This wine was fermented and aged in qvevri using a distinct red grape, then made in a modern winery born after the disasters of Soviet-era wine diktats. Whew, more than worth a sip, especially at its price point. $19–30.
The wine is 100% Saperavi grapes. Saperavi means “paint” or “something to dye with” in Georgian, a reference to the grape and the wine’s deep blue-black color. Saperavi is one of the world’s few noteworthy teinturier grapes. It has red flesh and red juice in addition to red skin. This gives the wine its intensely dark color. Native to the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia (where this wine was made), it is now grown in Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine, Australia, and New York’s Finger Lakes region, a testimony to its cold hardiness and adaptability to various soil types. It ripens late while retaining natural acidity. Watch the Saperavi space.
The Chkhaidze brothers founded Askaneli in 1998. They named the winery Askaneli Brothers after the village and the residents of Askana in the Guria region, where an ancestor, Antimoz Chkhaidze, built a wine cellar in the 1880s that still stands today. Continuing that tradition, they make wine in the old Georgian tradition, using underground qvevri (clay pots). The wine spends six months in qvevri and six months in bottle prior to release. But Askaneli Brothers is far from a creaky old winery doing wine the way great-great-grandfather made wine.
The wine is made from grapes harvested in eastern Georgia, across the country from the winery’s beginnings. The company’s major winemaking facilities are in Kakheti and Tbilisi, with a fruit distillery in Guria. Askaneli Brothers is a Georgia-wide operation. The era of Soviet plonk pushing is well in the rearview mirror for this enterprise—in fact, the Chkhaidzes explicitly state they founded the winery to reverse the years of Russian influence in their country.
The winery emphasizes attention to the vines, utilizing green harvest (where grape clusters are removed to concentrate on the better clusters) and leaf thinning (so grapes receive more sunlight). This sharply contrasts with the Soviet era emphasis on quantity over quality. Then Askaneli does a “what-the-heck?” Georgian thing: “We believe that the vine is a living, sensitive organism, which is why we play Georgian folk polyphonic music over our Askaneli vineyards in the belief that it will help the grapes grow and the resulting wine be more flavorful and aromatic.” Music to the grapevine’s ears, or whatever sensory apparatus a grapevine may possess. Vineyard workers also may enjoy.
Grapes are hand-harvested and hand-sorted. Part of the post-Soviet Georgian wine renaissance, the Askaneli Brothers winery is equipped with modern equipment and quality-control technology. The primary facility has the latest Italian equipment, including stainless steel bins, presses, tanks, and filters. They plan to build two new facilities: one for brandy and one for sparkling wines. Meanwhile, they produce both of those products at their existing facilities.
Askaneli Brothers Saperavi Kakheti Qvevri, Georgia 2021: Deep purple/blue-black color; blackcurrant, dark plum, wild berries, sour cherry, black pepper, earth, forest floor, spice on the nose and palate. 13% ABV
Dry (4.0 g/L RS); silky, fine-grained tannins with just enough balancing acidity (5.9 g/L TA). Medium-plus body. Smooth in the initial attack, but by mid-palate the black fruits assert themselves with tannins and earthiness during an extended finish. Made in traditional Georgian qvevri, which seems exotic until you think about it and realize this is how wine was made millennia before oak barrels.
Pairing—Grilled meats, braised short ribs; pork barbecue; lamb, goose, duck, game birds; potato-and-cheese casserole. Georgian mtsvadi (skewered pork or lamb grilled over vine embers). Earthy wild mushroom ragù. Cheese—Georgian smoked sulguni, aged Gouda, Manchego, Pecorino Stagionato, mature clothbound cheddar.
Askaneli Brothers website (USA)
