A brooding, powerful & expressive wine made from the iconic Georgian grape, Saperavi.
The wine is dark purple in colour. The nose opens with a powerful savoury-spicy bouquet of blackberries, herbs, flowers and black pepper. The palate has a creamy, juicy texture, ripe tannins and black fruit flavours.
Made from the indigenous grape variety Saperavi and partially vinified in traditional qvevri vessels, Bedoba means `Day of Luck'. Winemakers Nugzar Ksovreli and Thierry Fontannaz found inspiration in the history and legacy of the winery's founders, the Konchosvilli family, whose cellars date back to 1737. The label references the bishop Petre Konchoshvili, a prominent religious and political figure of the 19th century, and honours the long-standing relationship between the family and the church - `koncho` means cross.
Bedoba is made from grapes sourced from vineyards located in the classic and traditional microzones of Kindzmarauli and Kvareli, in the Kakheti region. The vineyards are on average 30 years old, conducted on trellis and situated in a valley where the Duruji River used to run. The soils here are rich in black shale, and the southern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains provide altitudes of over 400 metres above sea level, bringing fresh acidity and soft tannins. Sustainable and organic practices are observed in the vineyards and harvest is carried out by hand.
All of the grapes are hand-harvested into small 15-kilo bins. Most of the hand harvested grapes were crushed and fermented in temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks for around six weeks, with 7% remaining as whole bunches to undergo fermentation in Qvevri amphora. The amphora-fermented wine remained in the vessel, after which it was removed to a press and then transferred to new Qvevri for further maturation. After the six-week fermentation, the tank-fermented wine was transferred to a mix of stainless-steel tanks, 5000 litre wooden vats and second and third use 225 litre American oak barrels, to undergo malolactic conversion. The final cuvee is a blend of 55% Saperavi matured in stainless-steel, 15% in 5000 litre wooden vats, 20% in second and third 225 litre American oak barrels and 10% Qvevri. After bottling, the wine remained in the cellar for a further six months before release.
This bolder style of Saperavi goes with anything from pizza to smoky BBQ pork, and even spicy stews.