Vegetarian, Vegan, Practising Organic

This 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. 

ABV 13%

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.

With an average age of 30 years, the Saperavi vines behind Bedoba are planted in the renowned wine region of Kakheti, near the eastern border with Azerbaijan in the Kvareli and Kindzmarauli appellations along the Duruji River valley. 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, as well as hand-harvesting and careful sorting of the dark-skinned and red-fleshed Saperavi grapes.

A small fraction of the fruit is fermented in whole bunches, and a selection of the grapes are left to dry naturally on the vines until November, ensuring a fine balance between the savoury and spicy elements of the grape. Stainless steel tanks and clay qvevri pots are used for fermentation, encapsulating the combination of innovation and tradition employed by Ksovreli and Fontannaz. Second and third fill American oak barrels as well as 5000L wooden vats are employed for ageing, before a further 12 months in bottle contributes to a seamless texture.

After a mild winter, the 2019 vintage in Kakheti proceeded without any significant weather events. Conditions here are typically influenced by the nearby Caucasus Mountains, which allow a dry harvest with mild temperatures during the day but with rather cold nights, ideal for the avoidance of any type of rot. Harvest commenced on 7th October and ran over the course of a month to ensure each block was picked at the perfect stage of ripeness. A small percentage of the best grapes were left in the vineyards until the very end of harvest to allow a natural passerillage to take place, increasing the concentration of both sugar and flavour compounds.

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 until March 2020, 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 50% Saperavi matured in stainless-steel, 25% in 5000 litre wooden vats, 18% in second and third 225 litre American oak barrels and 7% Qvevri. After bottling, the wine remained in the cellar for a further 12 months before release.