2010 Black Russian Red

McGregor Saperavi: America's first success with Saperavi. Two parcels of estate grown Saperavi and Sereksiya Charni were harvested by hand on October 8, 2010. One section yielded 2.13 tons of ripe fruit (1.8 tons per acre) with 23.4 brix sugar, 1.36 TA and 3.16 pH. These grapes were de-stemmed, fermented for 12 days at 68-82 degrees and the wine completed a malolactic fermentation. The wine was transferred into a combination of new and four year old Minnesota American oak barrels and aged for 25 months. The other section of grapes yielded 5.03 tons of fruit (1.67 tons per acre) with 23.2 brix sugar, 1.29 TA and 3.14 pH. Fermentation for this batch lasted 12 days at 70-83 degrees. It also completed a secondary fermentation. The wine was transferred into a combination of new, two and four year old Minnesota American oak barrels and aged for 25 months. The wines were blended, egg white fined, cold stabilized and filtered. It was then bottled on July 16 & 18, 2013 with 0.72 TA, 3.50 pH, 0.5% residual sugar and 12.5% alcohol. 376 cases were produced.

This vintage, simply put, is one of those vintages that defines Black Russian Red! This is obvious the moment it is poured into a glass; it has an enticing inky purple/black color that seems to nearly stain the glass. It offers a complexity of aromas and flavors including plum, blackberry, sweet oak, coconut, elderberry, smoke and earth. It is a sublime wine that lingers on and on. I cannot emphasize enough just how wonderful this wine is right now. It will cellar very well, for years to come, but it’s hard to resist it right now.