Barbale Kindzmarauli 2019

Drink it now or cellar for up to 10 years. No need to decant, but best to open it half an hour before service.

Founded in 2016 in the Georgian wine region of Kartli, and more precisely in the village of Bolnisi, Barbale Wines is a young company led by winemaker Berdia Berishvili. The company, famous for its dry-farmed vineyards, produces organic wines from native grape varieties (some of which are very rare) using traditional winemaking practices.

Kindzmarauli is a naturally semi-sweet red wine, produced with Saperavi grapes selected and harvested in the Kindzmarauli microzone of the Kakheti wine region. In this region, the poor and finely stony soils are ideal for the cultivation of Saperavi, an ancient native Georgian vine, from which wines of exceptional quality are obtained, even if production is rather limited in quantity.

The resulting wine has a brilliant color with dark ruby-red nuances. On the nose, it is fragrant and fruity with intense aromas of blackberry and forest berries, plum, and some light hints of cedar. On the palate, it has a well-balanced sweetish streak. It is dense, rich, and warm with soft, well-integrated tannins and a pleasant freshness. The finish is dry and persistent. It is excellent on its own at the end of a meal or with cheeses and red fruit tarts. Also worth trying with meat, especially if served with red fruit-based sauces.