The Oddball Saperavi: A Bold and Unconventional Wine by Hugh Hamilton
I’m sure it’s not just me and that there are other “oenological bowerbirds” out there; wine lovers that are easily distracted by the shiny new object and constantly on the lookout for something different, intriguing, and experimental. After all, variety is the spice of life, right?
Well, if you’re a Bowerbird of the vinous type, and keen to try something less common, then Saperavi might be just the drop for you.
It’s not a varietal you’ll find in every bottle shop, but if you enjoy a bold and juicy red, it’s worth searching for. The grape is a Georgian native, where it earned its moniker from its unusual flesh and uncanny ability to colour and stain. Literally translated in the regional dialect, the name means “paint” or “dye”. And that’s understandable given that the grape has a dark red skin but also red flesh (rather than white flesh as most red wine grapes do). Imagine the mess that would make of the overalls of the pickers at harvest time!
Georgia was once a Soviet state so it’s not surprising that Saperavi is also grown in Russia and even Ukraine. It tolerates very cold conditions, so it does well in areas of high altitude and in cool climates. Here in Australia, the grape is grown in any number of regions – including those that are warm and Mediterranean. Travellers to the Granite Belt would find the varietal at places like Ridgemill, Sirromet and Ballandean, while those visiting Victoria would find the grape at Brown Brothers (King Valley), Glenbosch Estate (Rutherglen) or Gapsted Wines (Alpine Valley). In South Australia, Saperavi is produced in the Barossa Valley by Two Hands and Massena and in the McLaren Vale, by Berg Herring, Patritti and Hugh Hamilton. And it was a Saperavi by Hugh Hamilton that enchanted the taste buds of a group of friends when I recently shared it at a Sunday evening BBQ – “wine of the night”, they said!
The Hugh Hamilton story began in 1837 when Hugh’s great, great grandfather – a tailor from the high streets of Dover in the UK – emigrated to Australia and planted the first grapes in the McLaren Vale. The Hamilton family believe that they were in fact, the first wine grapes grown in Australia! Now into the sixth generation, Hugh and his daughter Mary craft a range of exceptional wines using fruit from their vineyards across the McLaren Vale and Blewitt Springs.
The Hugh Hamilton team makes dozens of wines, but only 3 Saperavi – the Black Ops (Shiraz/Saperavi blend), the Oddball and Oddball the Great. And it was the Oddball that was the prima-donna amongst a set of premium Australian reds at our recent catch-up with friends. Rich, voluptuous and brooding, the Oddball was as fragrant as it was coloured like a beetroot! Fruit forward, luscious and dense, the mid-palate delivers waves of molasses, damson plum, cassis and spice before a gratifying astringency acts as the curtain raiser to an acidic but earthy conclusion. It’s not what I would have expected of a varietal that traditionally grows on snow-covered mountainsides! Apparently, it can do very well in warmer climates as well!
The Hugh Hamilton Oddball Saperavi is only available at the cellar door or online but is worth every bit of the $70 odd you’ll pay to savour the experience. Join their Black Sheep club and it does become a little more affordable. If you do find a bottle, I’d suggest enjoying it within the next 5 years as my suspicion is that it won’t get much better with time on its side.
Saperavi may be an ancient varietal with 8000 years of Georgian experience, but this Bowerbird is guessing that it has a flourishing future in warmer climates like Australia where it will challenge for favouritism on the palates of lovers of South Australian shiraz.
As published in Courier Mail.