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

RCB

9.0

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

Chris Klebba

9.6

Ripe, purple lift oak — 8 years ago

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. — 8 years ago

Rafael Landestoy

9.4

Phenomenal and both bottles went beautifully with our stone crabs and long crab legs. — 8 years ago

with Ilida

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! — 11 years ago

Aaron Tan

8.9

Surprisingly, I kinda liked this despite my aversion to overly-hopped beers. The nose is a straight up hop-bomb - floral, citrusy, piney. The palate's also full-on, with heaps of hoppy bitterness, but balanced by malty sweetness and tropical fruit notes (passionfruit and mango for me). Finishes crisp and earthy. Not bad, but not my kind of beer (not an IPA fan basically). — 6 years ago

Kylie Farr

9.0

Cherries warmish fruit, enjoyable not overly complex — 6 years ago

Tobin Trevarthen

9.1

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

TheSkip

9.8

Finest IPA in the land. #micdrop — 8 years ago

Slestyan

9.1

Bergundian complex with heavy fruit — 9 years ago

Patrick Herrington

9.2

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

Kavi Kapadia

9.5

Stefs wedding — 12 years ago

Sean Christensen

9.0

Like a flat sour beer — 6 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 . — 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 — 8 years ago

Tara Rowland

9.4

One of my favs...now avail in can, perfect for walking around London in the spring 😍 — 8 years ago

Samuel Vandegrift

9.0

2009. Stone cold killer. — 9 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Boyz Raveneau tasting. Light straw color. Honeyed nose with light fruit. Soil and stone notes in the mouth to go with lovely Chablis fruit Tight at first but really opened up nicely. — 10 years ago