Saperavi Satrapezo 2008: Tasting beyond its years

If this wine is anything to go by, Georgia has some real gems to offer.

I tasted this last week in a Georgian restaurant near where I live in Islington, London.

It retails for around the £20 mark, and at that price it's well worth it.

French cabernet sauvignon vines taken to Georgia some time ago produce grapes mixed with the local Saperavi grapes to excellent effect.

I found it not dissimilar to a Bordeaux but with a depth and aged taste that you'd expect in a much older wine from that region. It has superb length and a hint of mustiness.

According to my waiter, and the Georgian wine society , it is also produced in an unusual way:

"Produced in accordance with ancient wine making techniques dating back over 6000 years, the wine is fermented in clay vessels called Kvevri buried in the ground. Long, one-month maceration, followed by maturation for 24 months in oak barrels"

One Saperavi made the Independent's top 50 list last year. 

Click here for more details and how to buy. I shall be looking out for more of this.