Connor Smith

9.1

Finger. Lakes. Saperavi.

If this ain’t American winemaking in the 21st century we don’t know what is! 🇺🇸🍷🇬🇪🍇

At least, that’s what we were thinking before reading up on Standing Stone and founders Marti & Tom Macinski. They actually first planted this fascinating Georgian grape here in ***1994*** (just 3 years after Georgia left the USSR, for those keeping score at home) intended for blending.

Increasingly impressed by the quality of the grapes, they offered their first varietal Saperavi in 2010 - as “The Dark Red”, since the grape name was as yet unrecognized by the federal government. Once it was, they became the first American winery to release a wine labeled Saperavi.

Fine tuned to the cold, high mountains of Kakheti in eastern Georgia, it makes sense why it would thrive in the Finger Lakes! The name Saperavi literally means “ink”, a sensible name for a grape with pitch-dark skin AND flesh! 🖤

Marti and Tom sold the winery and retired in 2017. But their enduring legacy may just be budding. We’ve heard of Saperavi planting projects underway in New York, Virginia, and Oregon.

Saperavi’s runaway affinity for the Finger Lakes may have been a bit of a happy accident, but the Macinskis deserve every bit of credit for thinking outside the box, putting it in motion, and bringing it to fruition! 🙌🙌🙌 — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Straw gold color. Caressing aromatic nose of lemon curd, river stone, spices and a little apricot. Really good balance of structure, fruit and acidity in the mouth. Lasting finish. Textbook white burg. — 8 years ago

Jason Caron

9.2

Tight but really good — 9 years ago

Leora Pearl Madden

9.1

Still on my small production Aussie kick. So much love for the people down under! Xoxo — 9 years ago

with Jeff, Noelle and 3 others

Sayuri Tezuka

9.3

Pure fruits and fresh acidity.
Nice.
Elegant syrah . — 10 years ago

Kapyrick Wine

10

Elegant, yellow apple sweetness, creamy, buttery, rounded oak undertones. Extremely well balanced. — 11 years ago

Matt Mason

9.0

Whole Foods, C Golden, apple, pear, nice acidity — 6 years ago

RCB

9.0

Nice wine. Fruity, just off dry. Would get it again. — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

Tasted side by side with the 2013 vintage. Deep purplish red. A bit floral on the nose with some cedar, blackberries and quite a bit of spices. Sweet and heavy tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Nice complexity on the palate with blackcurrants, blackberries, sweet spices, woody, a bit gamey and dark crushed gravel. A bit of red berries with some time. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2027. | Sample from Winery - $70 — 8 years ago

with Sean and India

Connor Barbaree

10

At first taste- bright, crisp, rambunctious, high-toned citrus. After 20min- rounded and developed, concentrated stone fruits. Very dry, but also rich on the palate. Could go another 20yrs before the youthfulness begins to fade. — 9 years ago

Slestyan

9.1

Bergundian complex with heavy fruit — 10 years ago

Patrick Herrington

9.2

Floral nose, crisp with long stone fruit like finish
Very nice! — 10 years ago

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.6

Just an amazing expression of Terroir, totally naked and brilliantly balanced, including dusty tannins and dito minerality, Syrah spice and a meat stock infused finish. Note to Self - Clos Saron rules! — 12 years ago

Sean Christensen

9.0

Like a flat sour beer — 7 years ago

Greg Koslosky

9.6

Minerals ,apricot stone fruits , golden raisin , caramel , nuts . Incredible depth and richness but with perfectly balanced acidity lingering notes of nougat , minerals and dried fruits . — 7 years ago

Tobin Trevarthen

9.1

Nice smooth. Nutmeg. Blackberry, figs. — 8 years ago

TheSkip

9.8

Finest IPA in the land. #micdrop — 9 years ago

Samuel Vandegrift

9.0

2009. Stone cold killer. — 10 years ago

Michael Muehlbauer

9.3

Let it open and you will enjoy — 10 years ago

Kavi Kapadia

9.5

Stefs wedding — 13 years ago