Mildiani Family Winery Saperavi 2021

Deep, clear, almost shiny purple in color.  The nose of ripe black fruits and some earthy spices jumps out of the glass.  The wine is immediately approachable with flavors of fresh red and black fruits, cherries and currants and a hint of black pepper.  The tannins are slightly sweet and the acids are soft and balanced with the fruit.  It makes one crave braised short ribs, or a burger with a little grill-char and bacon, maybe some melted mild cheese like provolone - it's a perfect companion for the natural carbon, salt and fat.

It is widely-agreed throughout the wine industry - if professional concurrence matter on things like this - that the cradle of wine, the birthplace where it was first intentionally produced to create an alcoholic grape-based beverage, was in the region just south of the behemoth Caucasus mountain range in what is now the country of Georgia.  This is a small (about the same square mileage as South Carolina and not actually shaped that differently, and less than half the size of our own U.S. Georgia) and quite magical place where carbon evidence points to wine production dating back over 8,000 years.  With the Black Sea as its western border, Russia to the north, and Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to the south and east, it is a bountiful basket of crops ranging from citrus and teas to nuts and corn - but grapes make wine production the most important agricultural activity there.  Gvino possesses enormous clout in social, cultural, historical, and economic ways.

With nearly 500 indigenous grape varieties native to Georgia, the results can be fascinating and endless, especially if you are lucky enough to share the "pitcher" wines made in the homes of almost every welcoming and generous Georgian family.  But not until 2008 or so did the country's most talented and curious winemakers and investors truly elevate their game for export, focusing on world class dry reds and whites that would impress demanding palates in Europe and the U.S., winning attention and medals and a place on our tables alongside bottles from Italy, Spain, Argentina, and Australia.  The stranglehold of all exports going to Russia, and those mostly being sweet reds, was a thing of the past and this opened the floodgates of creativity and pride that brings us the wonderful Georgian wines that we have access to today.

An interesting side note to the current-day Georgia story is that beginning in 2009, the family team that is now Splash Wines was the first American merchant to bring in significant quantities of two signature wines from a great (also family-owned) producer in Georgia, for sale only to their online fans nationwide.   And now, after a brief hiatus of 6 or 7 years to focus on new strategies, improved operations, and perfecting the selection of what Splash offers to its customers, the wines of Mildiani Family Winery are back and ready to enjoy!

Founded by the 4 Mildiani brothers in 1991, the winery is a benchmark of consistent, proud, closely-watched, quality control in its production of classic Georgian varieties and styles from the eastern wine region known as Kakheti, in the charming and peaceful village of Tsinandali.  Combining ancient grape varietals with modern equipment and techniques, they craft award-winning reds, whites, roses, sparkling and brandy from estate-grown fruit that is entirely under their watchful eyes from start to finish.  And for this renewed U.S. export to Splash Wines, they have selected exclusive lots for a duo of the most recognized white and red types in the Kakheti: Rkatsiteli (white) and Saperavi (red).