Barossa Valley Saperavi! You have my attention. Like all the Arila Gardens wines, this is a fabulous expression of the variety.
I tasted this with winemaker Adam Clay after wandering his vineyards just prior to vintage 2023. The fruit for this wine is sourced from a grower nearby. Saperavi is a variety I love and I was thrilled to come across a Barossa example. Until now, I didn't they existed. Made well, Saperavi is wonderfully expressive and perfumed, precisely what I found here.
From one of two vineyards in the district, it saw old oak for ten months. Scents of dried petals, beetroot, blueberries and thyme greet you on opening. The generosity cannot be denied and the aromas blue fruits and violets build to whisk your senses away. A wine that goes deep, the colour is captivating as it fills the mouth with oceans of plums rounding out with an exotic spice and Five spice tail that runs long. For a debut release, this has nailed the brief.
Drink to five years+
95/100
Region: Barossa
RRP: $45
Source: Sample
Source: Sample
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