Alejandro Saperavi

The Alejandro range of wines pride themselves on creating the best of European tastes with a South Australian twist, championing unusual and sometime forgotten grapes that thrive in the region. Saperavi grapes (originally from Georgia) are harvested from vineyards of calcareous earth (loam-sand-clay-alkaline) by the Murray River system of Murray Darling, bringing vigorous growth. Matured for 6 months in French and American oak, this red has a further 5 years’ cellar potential.

Dark purple to black in appearance, the nose brings aromas of mulberry, dark fruits, fennel and spice. These combine to produce a complex aromatic profile resembling rich, dark fruit cake. The palate is rich and tannic, with lots of oak to complement the fruits and spices. Try with rich meat and mushroom dishes or even relaxing with dark rum and raisin chocolate.

After a trip to Spain, Russell & Suitor winemaker Alex Russell launched his first label ‘Alejandro’ in 2014. Alex’s time abroad inspired him to explore the potential of locally grown grapes that respond exceedingly well to the South Australian climate with all the character and complexity of their Spanish counterparts.