作者：by Dan Traucki 文/丹·卓科里 发布时间：2017-06-05 关注度：260

Georgia’s most important grape variety saperavi is slowly making its way into Australian vineyards. But how do these young wines compare with their traditional counterparts?

格鲁吉亚最知名的萨别拉维葡萄正悄然扎根于澳大利亚的葡萄种植园。但是初出茅庐的萨别拉维葡萄酒与传统工艺的葡萄酒相比，又会是一番怎样的滋味呢？
Saperavi is a deep, darkly coloured red grape variety that is one of 525 indigenous varieties from Georgia (the country), formerly part of the Soviet Union. Saperavi literally means ‘dye’ or ‘paint’. It is one of the very few wine grapes that has red flesh, as almost all red grape varieties have clear flesh, with the wine’s colour coming wholly from the skins. 
   萨别拉维是一种色泽深黑的红葡萄品种，它是格鲁吉亚（前苏联的一部分）525本土葡萄品种的一种。萨别拉维字面意思是“染料”或“油漆”。它是一种稀有的红色果肉葡萄品种。而几乎所有红葡萄的果肉都是晶莹透亮的，葡萄酒的颜色则完全来自于果皮。
Saperavi is the single most important grape variety in Georgia, in the same way as malbec in Argentina and shiraz in Australia. However, up until now this variety has been almost unknown to Australian wine drinkers. Only recently has it started being grown here by a few innovative winemakers, while at the same time imported wines have started arriving from Georgia. 
   萨别拉维在格鲁吉亚一枝独秀，是葡萄王国中的翘楚。其显赫程度不亚于马尔贝克之于阿根廷，西拉之于澳大利亚的地位。然而时至今日，这一葡萄品种在澳大利亚葡萄酒消费者心目中几乎鲜有人知。直到最近，几家富有开拓创新精神的酿酒商开始尝试引种，与此同时，市面上也出现了格鲁吉亚进口葡萄酒的身影。
Georgia is located on the edge of the Black Sea and has Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan as its neighbours (some ‘peaceful’ neighbourhood to be in, huh?!).

格鲁吉亚地处黑海沿岸，毗邻俄罗斯、土耳其、亚美尼亚和阿塞拜疆（算得上领国关系很“融洽”，对吧？！）。

Georgia has a population of 4.5 million, which is roughly the same as that of Sydney. It is widely considered to be the cradle of wine, as it’s proven that they have been making wine for more than 8000 years. It is a very different wine scene to ours, and most other countries, in that a very large proportion of Georgians make their own wine at home. Almost all farmers have at least a few rows of vines and city dwellers visit to buy grapes to make their own wine at home. City folks with gardens tend to grow at least some of their own grapes to make their wine.
    格鲁吉亚人口450万，与悉尼大致相当。作为世界公认的葡萄酒发源地，农民们至少都会种上几垅葡萄，而城市居民则会到乡下购买葡萄自酿葡萄酒。拥有私家花园的城里人都愿意或多或少地种些葡萄，自酿美酒。
As a result of this, there are not very many ‘proper’ wineries in Georgia, a few Soviet-era industrial winemakers, and more recently, a rising number of small boutique wineries.
   正因于此，格鲁吉亚并没有太多“正统”的酒庄，只有前苏联时期遗留下来屈指可数的几家工业化酒庄。还有就是最近一段时间，不断涌现的小型精酿酒庄。
Much of Georgia’s wine is made in qvervi – clay amphora used to make the original ‘natural’ wine. The qvervi is lined with beeswax before the grapes are put in, then it is sealed and left to ferment using natural yeasts. The following spring, the wine is syphoned out, the lees are scooped out and the qvervi is cleaned with spring water so as to be ready for making the next vintage. There are no additives, chemicals or oak used, and there is no filtration – what could be more natural than that? 
   不少格鲁吉亚葡萄酒都采用qvervi 陶罐酿造，它是一种用来酿造原生态“天然”葡萄酒的双耳陶罐。陶罐内壁先涂以蜂蜡，接着放入葡萄、密封，然后天然酵母发酵。次年春天，便可将酒浆虹吸出来，舀出酒泥，再用泉水将陶罐清洗干净，便可酿造下一年份的葡萄酒了。没有添加物，不施农药，不用橡木桶，也不用过滤——如此这般，试问天底下还有比这更天然的吗？
In Georgia, saperavi is used not only to make dry red wines, but also semi-sweet and sweet red wines, which were at the height of their popularity during the Communist era. It is also used to make rosé and sometimes blended with their main white variety, rkatsiteli, to make their semi-sweet Alazani wines. 
   在格鲁吉亚，萨别拉维不仅可以酿造干红葡萄酒，还可酿造半甜和甜红葡萄酒。其风靡程度在社会主义时期达到历史巅峰。此外，它还可以用于酿造桃红葡萄酒，有时候，也可以与格鲁吉亚主要的白葡萄品种——卡斯泰利混酿成阿拉赞半甜葡萄酒。
During the Soviet era, saperavi spread to several other communist countries, such as Moldova, but was virtually unheard of in the rest of the world. More recently, it immigrated to the Finger Lakes region of New York and then to Australia. 
   前苏联时期，萨别拉维葡萄传播到其他多个社会主义国家，譬如摩尔多瓦。但是在世界的其他地方却基本上无人知晓。直到最近，它才漂洋过海来到纽约州的芬格湖群地区，继而扎根澳大利亚。
Preparing for tasting 
品鉴前的筹备工作
To conduct the tasting for this article, we endeavoured to contact all 20 of the current saperavi growers in Australia. In the end, 12 wineries submitted samples. Patritti Wines provided a sample of each of the nine vintages they have made so far. From the USA, three of the five Finger Lakes (New York) wineries that produce saperavi sent samples. (This was really appreciated as sending wine samples across the globe is a complex (bio-terrorism) and costly exercise. A very special thanks to McGregor Vineyards of Keuka Lake, New York, which magnanimously sent six of the last seven vintages of its excellent Black Russian Red.) 
   为了筹备本文的品鉴活动，我们费尽心血联系了澳大利亚全境目前能够找到的20家萨别拉维种植园。最后，12家酒庄送来了酒样。Patritti Wines酒庄送来了到目前为止酿造的九个年份的酒样。美国芬格湖群地区（纽约）五家萨别拉维酒庄中的三家送来了酒样。（真心感谢他们横跨半个地球送酒，要知道这不光费事（生物恐怖主义），而且花费也不菲。特别感谢纽约库克湖的McGregor Vineyards酒庄，他们慷慨地发来了最近七个年份的精品黑俄罗斯红葡萄酒（Black Russian Red）中的六款。）
The Georgians were represented thanks to local importers tamada.com.au and vinous.com.au, which import Tbilvino Wines and Pheasant’s Tears Wines respectively. We were therefore able to compare examples of Georgian saperavi to those from other cool/cold climate areas, as well as trying saperavi that had been made in qvervi. 
   多亏了本地进口商tamada.com.au和vinous.com.au，我们找到了格鲁吉亚葡萄酒的代表，他们分别是第比维诺（Tbilvino Wines）和山鸡之泪（Pheasant’s Tears Wines）酒庄。这样，我们才能够对比格鲁吉亚萨别拉维、凉爽/寒冷地区以及qvervi陶罐萨别拉维葡萄酒之间的不同魅力。
One of the main observations from this tasting is that, irrespective of where the variety is grown and whether it is vinified conventionally or in qvervi, the wines displayed a great deal of core commonality: the deep, dark colour; the fragrant beetroot-like aromatics; and the solid, central core of tightly structured flavour. The other main observation made is that there are two distinctive styles of saperavi: a cool/cold-climate style and a warm-climate style. 
   品鉴中的一个重要发现是不管萨别拉维葡萄生长在何处，无论是传统工艺还是陶罐工艺酿造，全部葡萄酒都呈现出核心共性：色深黑，甜菜根似的酒香，结构紧致、坚实，浓香馥郁。此为，另外的重要发现是有两种不同风格的萨别拉维葡萄酒：凉爽/寒冷型和温暖型风格。
Saperavi is renowned for its ability to cope with extremely cold conditions and therefore the cool/cold-climate wines are the norm and were, in the main, slightly lighter coloured, tighter and more restrained, with higher acidity and needing longer for the fruit to come to the fore. 
    萨别拉维抵抗严寒的能力是出了名的，因此凉爽/寒冷气候型葡萄酒更为普遍。葡萄酒的颜色也淡一些，更紧致、内敛，酸度更高，需要较长时间的陈年才能散发出迷人果香。
Whereas warmer climate saperavi is a much more recent phenomena that has only really arisen since the variety’s arrival in Australia. While these wines are much more open and opulent than their more restrained cool cousins, they share the same core inherent characteristics of huge colour, a steel rod (RSJ) backbone and masses of flavour. However, being from a warmer climate allows for more acid to be converted to sugar – they are more forward, less austere and ready to drink earlier than their cooler climate counterparts. It is somewhat similar to say, comparing Barossa shiraz to those of the cooler Adelaide Hills or Tasmania.
   温暖型萨别拉维只是扎根澳大利亚之后才初露芳容的新景象。不过与内敛的寒冷型相比，她们则更活泼有活力，更丰腴华美。她们关键的内在共性是色泽浓重，钢筋般坚硬的骨架，酒香四溢。只不过，温暖的气候更有利于酸味转化成香甜。相比较冷地区的萨别拉维，她们更率真，也不那么紧涩，也更可以早些饮用。说起来有点像巴罗萨与较凉爽地区的阿德莱德山或塔斯马尼亚西拉的区别。
The wines from Georgia 
格鲁吉亚葡萄酒
The Tbilvino range of six saperavi starting with the 2013 rosé, which to start with wasn’t very impressive compared to Aussie rosés but after a couple of hours of breathing in the glass, it was fantastic, as the strawberry aromas and elegant flavours came to the fore. 
   第比维诺包括六款萨别拉维系列葡萄酒。先从2013年份桃红葡萄酒开始品鉴，与澳洲桃红相比，入口并无特别过人之处。然而在酒杯中醒几个时辰后，待到其草莓和精致酒香弥漫开来之时，方显其精彩曼妙。
The three dry red Saperavi wines from Tbilvino each came from a different region in Georgia. They were the Tbilvino Napareuli 2013 Saperavi, which unfortunately was corked; the Tbilvino Mukuzani 2013 Saperavi, a lightish bodied (for saperavi), smooth, mellow wine that is ready to drink right now on its own; and the Tbilvino Kakheti 2013 Saperavi from the main/best known growing area in the country, was a very classy wine with attractive aromas. The latter had a smooth, rich body with a great depth of flavour and was not as acidic or tannic as most of the other wines in this tasting. This is a great example of how good Georgian saperavi can be equally enjoyable on its own or with delicious food. 
   第比维诺三款萨别拉维干红葡萄酒分别来自格鲁吉亚的不同产区。她们分别是Tbilvino Napareuli 2013 Saperavi，不幸的是沾染了木塞味。Tbilvino Mukuzani 2013 Saperavi 是一款酒体轻盈（相对于萨别拉维来说），柔滑醇厚并且当下便可饮用的葡萄酒。Kakheti 2013 Saperavi 出自于格鲁吉亚最主要也是最知名的产区，酒香迷人，堪称佳品。后者入口柔滑、馥郁，滋味醇厚，喝起来没有大多数葡萄酒的酸涩。作为格鲁吉亚精品萨别拉维葡萄酒的杰出典范，无论是独酌还是美食佐餐，都是美好的人生享受。
The other Georgian saperavi – both the Pheasant’s Tears 2013 Saperavi and the Vinoterra 2009 Saperavi – were made in qvervi rather than by conventional methods. These two wines were quite a contrast, with the Vinoterra being a sophisticated, elegant, smooth, medium-bodied in colour and palate wine, with a finer finish. While the Pheasant’s Tears was massively dark coloured, big-bodied with palate-coating, balanced flavours and a tight finish – an outstanding bigger style wine. Two amazingly different styles of wines both made in qvervi. 

格鲁吉亚其他萨别拉维葡萄酒——山鸡之泪 2013 萨别拉维和Vinoterra 2009 萨别拉维——均采用qvervi陶罐而非传统工艺酿造。两款葡萄酒形成强烈的反差。Vinoterra葡萄酒精致、典雅、柔滑、酒体中等，色泽口感俱佳，回味更为细腻。而山鸡之泪葡萄酒色泽深黑，酒体丰腴，口感醇厚，酒香均衡，回味紧致，是一款雄浑磅礴的精品佳酿。两款风格不同、令人惊艳的葡萄酒均采用qvervi陶罐酿造。
The wines from the Finger Lakes 

芬格湖群萨别拉维葡萄酒

The American saperavi from the Finger Lakes region of New York State were represented by:

纽约州芬格湖群美国萨别拉维葡萄酒的代表酒品：

• Dr Konstantin Frank Wines – Their 2013 wine was relatively a bit lighter in colour (still quite deep), soft on the bouquet, with great depths of flavour and backbone – a great example of cool/cold-climate saperavi.
• Dr Konstantin Frank Wines 酒庄——2013 年份葡萄酒色泽较浅（仍然很深），酒香绵柔，酒体饱满，浓醇馥郁，是一款凉爽/寒冷型萨别拉维葡萄酒的典范。
• Standing Stone Vineyard 2012, 2013 and 2014 Saperavi – The 2012 was as one expected from such a cold climate: tight, austere, acidic and dry, but with that big, steely backbone of fruit character and gorgeous flavours just waiting to break out and pounce on one’s palate. It simply needs quite a bit of time to complete its mission. Whereas the 2013 and 2014 were progressively a tad softer and more open than their predecessor. This change, whether due to warmer growing seasons or changing winemaking technique, makes the wines more approachable in their youth. All three are great food wines now and will continue to open up over time.
• Standing Stone Vineyard 2012、2013 和 2014 萨别拉维葡萄酒——2012 年份葡萄酒带着典型的寒冷型风格特征：紧致，紧涩，酸爽，干型。只不过仍需要岁月的沉淀，才能释放出钢筋般骨架的雄浑，浓郁的果香和醇厚的滋味。而与前者相比，2013 和2014 年份的葡萄酒更为柔顺，更活泼、灵动。无论是生长季节较为温暖还是酿造工艺造成的差异，这样的演绎变化都会让新酿葡萄酒更亲近可人。目前来看，这三款葡萄酒都是珍品佳酿，并且随着时间的推移，会更加迷人。
• McGregor Vineyards Black Russian Red 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 – This wine isn’t a straight saperavi but rather a blend of saperavi and sereksiya charni, which is the Russian name for the Romanian variety Băbească Neagră, (a tongue twister either way), that is, it is a saperavi blend.
• McGregor Vineyards Black Russian Red 2007、2008、2010、2011、2012 和 2013 年份葡萄酒——她们不像是单一的萨别拉维，更像是萨别拉维和sereksiya charni混酿的葡萄酒。sereksiya charni是罗马尼亚黑巴贝萨卡的俄文名（读起来有些拗口）。也可以说，这是一款萨别拉维混酿葡萄酒。

Wow, what a fantastic experience to be able to look at six vintages of the same wine from over the other side of the world. Starting with the 2013 and working backwards, one could see the progression as the wine matures, with the tannins softening off and making the wine smoother and less austere. 
    哇，能一睹地球另一端六个年份的同款葡萄酒，这样的经历太美妙了。从2013 年往前，您可以一览葡萄酒发展的整个脉络。随着葡萄酒的逐渐成熟，丹宁渐渐柔顺，葡萄酒也更加柔和，口感也不那么紧涩了。
Their potential longevity was verified by re-trying each wine several hours after the tasting, and in every case the wines had opened up considerably more and softened off, with the 2012 especially becoming absolutely sensational. 
品尝之后过几个小时再喝，能够发现她们的陈年潜力。每一瓶葡萄酒醒酒之后的滋味更是美妙柔滑。尤其值得称道的是2012款葡萄酒，绝对是卓尔不群。
The wines from the ‘new kid on the block’ – Australia 
澳大利亚“新生代”葡萄酒
The cool climate saperavi consisted of: 

凉爽型萨别拉维葡萄酒的代表酒品：

• Ballandean Estate 2015 Saperavi – Granite Belt. A big, flavourful, rich wine, very tight and needs plenty of time and food. 
• Ballandean Estate 2015 Saperavi——格兰纳特贝尔。这是一款雄浑大气、浓香馥郁，滋味醇厚的葡萄酒。由于酸涩度极高，需长时间陈酿，适合搭配丰盛的美食。
• Ridgemill 2014 The Csar Saperavi – Granite Belt. Slightly lighter-bodied but gorgeous, earthy beetroot aromas, well-structured with heaps of flavour and needing some time. 
• Ridgemill 2014 The Csar Saperavi——格兰纳特贝尔。酒体略轻盈，但是却带着美妙的泥土芬芳和甜菜根香味，结构完美平衡，需要些时间进行陈年。
• King River 2014 Saperavi – King Valley. Dense colour, appealing beetroot aromas, rich flavours and also needs plenty of time. 
• King River 2014 Saperavi——国王谷。色深，甜菜根香味诱人，滋味醇厚，也需要长时间的陈年。
• Ten Miles East 2015 Saperavi – Adelaide Hills. Almost black in colour, tightly structured with masses of flavour – a real keeper. 
• Ten Miles East 2015 Saperavi——阿德莱得山区。色泽乌黑，结构轻盈，浓香扑鼻，是一款珍藏佳酿。
• Symphonia 2008 Saperavi – King Valley. At nine years old, it is very tight and needs more time. It still has purple hues and great flavour. One of the first Aussie saperavi and powering along! 
• Symphonia 2008 Saperavi——国王谷。九年陈酿，极为紧致，需较长时间的陈年。色泽泛紫，滋味绝佳。澳洲萨别拉维的珍藏佳品，潜力无限！

Each and every one of these wines was excellent, being really deep and dark in colour, dense, tightly packed with heaps of restrained flavour just waiting to burst onto the scene as the acids and tannins subside over time. These wines require either lots of patience or to be accompanied by big flavoured rich food. 
    上述款款葡萄酒皆属精品。色泽浓黑，浓香馥郁。陈年过程中随着酸味物质和丹宁逐渐柔和，含蓄、内敛的葡萄酒才能散发出四溢酒香。如欲享用佳酿，您需要一定的耐心，要不就与丰盛的美食共饮。
The warmer climate saperavi were: 

温暖型萨别拉维葡萄酒的代表：

• Alex Russell Wines 2015 and 2016 Alejandro – Murray Darling. What a difference a year’s maturation makes. The 2015 is starting to mellow and be approachable, whereas the 2016 is still very tight and a bit agro. Both will be excellent wines a bit further down the track as they evolve. 
• Alex Russell Wines 2015 和 2016 Alejandro——墨累河岸地区。一年的陈年竟有如此差异。当2015年份葡萄酒刚开始变得柔和，能够品尝的时候。2016年份的尝起来仍然极为紧涩，还是葡萄的味道。随着陈年时间的延长，两个年份的葡萄酒都会成为绝美佳酿。
• Cirami Estate 2015 – Riverland. Light and bright (by comparison), smooth, ready to drink, with flavours of plums, cinnamon, spice and a hint of bitter chocolate. The extra warmth is reflected in lower acidity and richer riper fruit. It is a drink-now wine while your other saperavi are slowly mellowing. 
• Cirami Estate 2015——沃兰德。轻盈亮丽（比较而言），柔顺，易饮，散发着李子、肉桂、香草和淡淡的苦巧克力味道。另外的亮点是酸度较低、果味更丰厚成熟。当其他萨别拉维仍需漫长的时间进行陈年时，这款葡萄酒便可以即刻饮用。
• Lino Ramble 2016 Simon Says – McLaren Vale. Bright purple, big young aromas and so tight. It is too young now but will grow up nicely. 
• Lino Ramble 2016 Simon Says——麦克拉伦谷。亮紫色、酒香浓郁活泼，口感紧致。目前属于新酿阶段，尚需时日才能演绎出诱人魅力。
• Hugh Hamilton 2014 Oddball – McLaren Vale. Very deep in colour, rhubarb aromas with rich flavours. This will be an excellent wine in time as it softens off but patience is needed. 
• Hugh Hamilton 2014 Oddball——麦克拉伦谷。色泽极深，大黄香味浓郁，酒香四溢。待到陈年后，方能酿造出绝佳美酒。
• Dell’uva 2013 and 2012 – Barossa. Supercharged! Almost black, rich, luscious, powerful, seamless, just needs a little time to soften off a bit more. Will soon become a classic, warmer climate style saperavi. 
• Dell’uva 2013 and 2012——巴罗萨谷。劲爆无限！乌黑，馥郁、丰美、强劲、美妙绝伦，只需略加时日，酒浆会更加柔和。不用多久，便可酿成经典温暖型萨别拉维葡萄酒。
• Patritti Wines 2007 to 2015 – Barossa. Wow, what a vinous adventure, tasting every vintage that they have made and seeing the wines change as both the vines mature and their style evolves over time. The first two vintages, although good wines, were atypical of the style that they have since created, probably part of the process of coming to grips with the variety. Over the years, as the vines have matured, their own style has developed to the extent that the pre-release 2014 and 2015 vintages are amazing wines. They have masses of deep, dense colour that is almost black, attractive earthy, beetroot aromas and uber-tight, restrained flavours that tantalise the palate with what will be when these wines are mature enough to open up and truly blossom. I think they will be world-class wines easily outshining the 2011 vintage, which won a gold medal in the Royal Sydney Wine Show a few years ago. 
• Patritti Wines 2007 to 2015——巴罗萨谷。令人惊艳，多么美妙的葡萄酒体验，品尝每一款年份葡萄酒，欣赏体会葡萄酒浆缓慢幻化成绝美佳酿。前两个年份的葡萄酒，虽属精品，但却是这一风格的异类。可能是因为部分工艺操之过急的原因。我以为这种世界级的葡萄酒很容易盖过2011年份的风头，而后者几年前还在皇家悉尼葡萄酒展（Royal Sydney Wine Show）上拿到过金奖。

To sum up, saperavi is a little known, ancient yet innovative variety that produces sensational big wines with heaps of dark, dense colour, generally soft gentle aromatics and metric tonnes of flavour and tannins. In general, it is by no means a drink-now variety as the tonnes of tannins need time to soften off and allow the fruit to shine through. It is truly a keeper, as the occasional 50 year old wines opened in Georgia and other former Soviet Bloc countries prove. 
    总而言之，萨别拉维是鲜有人知、历史悠久却富有活力的葡萄品种。萨别拉维葡萄酒雄浑大气、令人惊讶，酒色乌黑，酒香柔和，酒香淡雅别致，滋味醇厚并带有丹宁的紧涩。一般来说，它不是即饮的品种，浓浓的丹宁味需要时光的沉淀才能焕发出迷人魅力。偶有格鲁吉亚和其他前苏联国家窖藏五十多年的葡萄酒开瓶庆祝的新闻见诸报端，也佐证珍藏佳酿之誉当属实至名归。
Saperavi makes lovely, big and highly desirable wines from warm as well as cold regions. Yes, the wines from these two climates are quite different in style, but the basic elements, structure and core flavours of the wines are consistently the same. So, if you are looking for a big wine to enjoy with a big, rich meal or even to tuck away for a while in the cellar, please consider a saperavi the sensational, you won’t be disappointed by this wonderful, innovative grape variety. 

萨别拉维无论生长在温暖还是寒冷地区，都能够酿造出清新可人、高端大气、颇受追捧的葡萄酒。的确，两种气候条件下酿造的葡萄酒风格差别极大，但是葡萄酒的基本元素、酒体结构和核心风味却并无二致。因此，如果您正在寻觅一款高端的葡萄酒来搭配丰盛的宴会，抑或是躲在酒窖一醉消愁的话，您可以尝一尝令人惊艳的萨别拉维葡萄酒。她的美妙迷人与非比寻常定不会让您失望。

Dan Traucki is a wine journalist and a wine industry consultant specialising in assisting with exports to Asian markets 

丹·卓科里是亚洲葡萄酒出口市场推广的专业顾问兼葡萄酒记者。