Tbilvino Saperavi Qvevris 2021
Once, Tbilvino was the largest wine company in the Soviet Union. Much has changed since the fall of the Iron Curtain. In the early 90's by the entrepreneurial brothers Giorgi and Zura Margvelashvili bought the winery with the help from the World Bank. They had very different plans: to give the wines their typical Georgian identity back and to produce quality instead of quantity.
| Country | Georgia |
| Region | Kakheti |
| Wine maker | Tbilvino |
| Grape varieties | Saperavi |
| Terroir | The grapes come from the vineyard at the Vachnadziani village in Kakheti at 400 meters altitude. They take advantage of the cool wind that descends from the Caucuses. The climate is warm to subtropical with dry summers and mild winters with often snow. Soils are predominantly alluvial clay and loam with a calcareous subsoil. |
| Harvest method | Handpicked. |
| Yield per hectare | 7 tons per hectare. |
| Vinification | A so-called 'green harvest' takes place in the spring. A third of the trusses are pruned to retain more concentrated juice. The grape juice and skins are fully fermented and macerated together for 5 months in Qvevri. |
| Impression | Dark red. Medium to full body. Smells of cherries, sultry spices and leather. Juicy, with fruit of cherries and berries. Something unpolished. Drinkable with modest tannins. |