Description / Reviews
// 100% Saperavi, 180 days on skins in underground clay amphorae
"2022 La Petite Mort Amphora Saperavi is the ultimate expression of old-school winemaking. The Georgian republic in the Caucuses quite possibly has the longest continuous history of winemaking in the world.. and Saperavi is their noble grape. Its also one of about 5 grape varieties IN THE WORLD that have red juice as well as red skins!! Our Saperavi is produced as closely as possible to the old-ways with whole berries fermented in earthenware pots and then left in contact with its skins and seeds for a whopping 183 days!! (that's like 6 months). During this time, we basically don't touch it so the wine is produced with absolute minimal handling or additions. After pressing the wine to separate it from its skins, it is clarified by settling (no filtration) and bottled as-is with only a small SO2 addition to ensure stability. The wine in the glass is dense and intense with distinctly savoury, old-world charms and long, silky tannin structure." - La Petite Mort, Winemaker
"The fruit spends 198 days on its skins in Georgian qvevri (a giant, egg-shaped ceramic vessel). That’s a big commitment to extraction! The resulting wine is inky and deeply concentrated, richly scented and flavoured with stewed plums, turned earth, ferrous savouriness and some brambly, undergrowth notes. Of considerable rustic charm with a balsamic, sour fruit profile meshed to thick, skinsy, plummy fruit. It's an esoteric and edgy expression that will win fans for its wild streak, but doesn't quite make its case here. Perhaps time will meld things." - Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion (2021 Vintage)
