MYSTERY GEM | BAROSSA VALLEY, SAPERAVI 2023
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Set in the rugged heart of the Moppa district in Barossa Valley, this 2023 Saperavi is a true expression of the region Arila Gardens calls home. Sourced from the Nietschke Moppa Estate vineyards at the corner of Moppa Road and Marble Range Road, the site sits at 310 metres elevation with sandy, rocky soils of quartz and ironstone over clay. The 2023 Barossa vintage was the latest picking season this millennium, shaped by late autumn rain in May 2022, a very wet winter and spring, and moderated temperatures that delayed veraison until February. A dry, even summer with few heat spikes then allowed slow ripening and a cool-month harvest through March and April, building fragrance, depth, and natural balance in the fruit.
Made with a gentle, hands-off philosophy to let variety and place speak clearly, the wine was harvested on April 20 and fermented as whole berries in small open-top vessels for eight days. Gentle pump-overs and hand plunging guided extraction before the wine spent 14 months in seasoned French oak hogsheads, then was filtered prior to bottling in August 2024.
The result is a fragrant, personality-filled Moppa red with a naturally textured shape and a savoury Barossa edge. It is built to drink beautifully now, while offering five years or more of cellaring for added complexity and polish.
The result is a fragrant, personality-filled Moppa red with a naturally textured shape and a savoury Barossa edge. It is built to drink beautifully now, while offering five years or more of cellaring for added complexity and polish.
95 points Sam Kim, WineOrbit, Oct 2024
"It's wonderfully expressed on the nose with dark fruit intensity, violet, clove and cedar characters, followed by a succulent palate offering plump mouthfeel and fleshy texture. Splendidly harmonious and lingering with rich fruit flavours with spicy nuances, finishing complex and delicious."
95 points, GOLD Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion, Jan 2025
"Saperavi is always so heady. It's got this talcy, mineral salt leading tone before sliding into a luscious array of blueberry, boysenberry and mulberry fruit notes. It's a pretty appealing wine this. Instantly likeable, I guess you could say, with its super juicy fruit profile, layers of exotic spice, blueberry-pie-like vibes and toothsome but chalky tannin architecture. Jeez it's good drinking."