Puchang Vineyard Saperavi 2017

100% Saperavi. Hand picked and fermented in barrel. Aged in barrels 50% for 12 months, and 50% for 24 months before bottling.

Blue fruited, leathery and vegetal, with a balsamic or black tea leaf edge. Grippy tannins and a soy sauce-like acid. 

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Located in the heart of Xinjiang, near the Tian Shan Mountain, Puchang Vineyard could probably claim to be the furthest-inland vineyard in the world. 

Led by Italian winemaker Loris Tartaglia, these wines are a lesson in resilience and strong will. Defying China’s wine trends, Puchang has doubled down on varieties indigenous to Central Asia and the Caucasus, including Rkatsiteli, Saperavi, Muscat and Beichun.

The family’s belief in their wines has paid off; the aromatic Muscat thrives in these conditions, and the potent Beichun is one-of-a-kind. Puchang Vineyard are more than just a breath of fresh air amongst a sea of Bordeaux blends; they demonstrate the quality that can be achieved by sticking to your gut. 

Organic certification was easily obtained, with the arid desert surrounding the vineyard offering natural pest control. The ancient Karez well system, in days past, making Xinjiang an oasis along the Silk Road, feeds glacier water from Tianshan into the vineyard - crucial in the harsh continental climate and drought-like conditions.