Vinous Obscura ‘Paint, Dye, Give Color’ Saperavi
WHY WE LOVE IT
- “Paint, Dye, Give Color” is the direct English translation of the Georgian word “Saperavi.”
- This Saperavi grape is progressing well in the complex soils along the Columbia River.
- Planted to the 4 available Saperavi clones in the USA, these vines are an important part of Vinous Obscura’s exotic grapes vineyard.
- Vine age is 9 years.
- ‘Paint, Dye, Give Color’ was fermented and aged in Oregon made amphorae from Andrew Beckham at NOVUM Ceramics.
Varietal: 100% Sagrantino
Elaboration: Dry farmed. Low intervention farming on volcanic, sedimentary soils. Native/indigenous fermentation. 11 month elevage in 320L NOVUM ceramic. No fining or filtration.
Tasting Notes:
PRESS
2021 – 92 Vinous
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The Vinous Obscura brand from Golden Cluster is centered around grapes sourced from two experimental nurseries and vineyards. One is on the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge and the other in Forest Grove in the Northern Willamette Valley.
There are over 200 different grape varietals between both vineyards. In some cases, these are the first ever plantings of these grapes in the USA, others are the first on the West Coast, some are rare clones. This grower has decades of grape growing and winemaking experience in New York state and belongs to a network of growers and academic organizations who work together to establish the viability of certain grapes in different soils, climates, and regions. Golden Cluster is making some of the first commercial wines from these rare grapes.
Golden Cluster, of Willamette Valley, Oregon is the vision of owner/winemaker Jeff Vejr. Established in 2013, all of Vejr’s wines are produced under the Golden Cluster umbrella, but Golden Cluster also represents some individual wineries throughout the area.
Today, Veijr produces his wines at the David Hill Winery, which was originally the Charles Coury Vineyard & Winery, one of the first vineyards planted in Willamette Valley after Prohibition. David Hill provides him with the “uncommon grapes” he sources and most of these were planted between 1966-72. The Golden Cluster name is a nod to the memory of Charles Coury and the Semillon grape variety.