Marbano Khashmi Saperavi (75cl, 14.5%)

A qvevri-aged Georgian dry red wine made from 100% Khashmi Bolnisi Saperavi grapes, bottled at 14.5% ABV in a 750ml bottle. Produced in the Khashmi village of the Kakheti region using the Kakhetian method, it undergoes a month-long skin maceration followed by eight additional months of ageing in clay qvevri. Whole clusters ferment and macerate with their skins for a full month inside buried clay vessels, then mature in qvevri for a further eight months without oak. The nose opens with intense coffee and dark chocolate, black tea, a subtle thread of vanilla, ripe red fruit and black plum. The palate shows concentrated black cherry and dark plum, firm gripping tannins, dried mulberry, espresso and bitter cocoa, with the alcohol well integrated. The finish is long and deeply tannic, with dark chocolate, black tea, dried stone fruit and a subtle earthiness.