La Cantina Preservative Free Saperavi 2024: Tasting Notes

WINE STYLE → Deep, Dark & Brooding

La Cantina Preservative Free Saperavi 2024 is a concentrated, estate-grown King Valley red with a striking deep-purple colour and generous dark-fruit character. Cherry and plum compote meet blackberry, warming spice and a savoury edge, held together by fine, firm tannins. Vegan friendly and made without added preservatives, it is a distinctive Australian expression of Georgia’s celebrated inky red grape.

Highlights

• Vegan friendly and made with no preservatives added
• Crafted by Peter Corsini and the Corsini family at their King Valley estate
• Cherry-plum compote, dark berries, spice and firm tannins
• Estate-grown Saperavi from vines first planted on the property in 2007
• Selected among a judge’s top six wines in Young Gun of Wine’s no-added-preservative tasting
• 14.8% ABV

Tasting Notes

An inky, almost opaque red with ripe blackberry, cherry and plum-compote aromas, followed by warm spice and a gently savoury undertone. The palate is dry, concentrated and full-bodied, with abundant fruit carried by a fine line of firm tannin. Integrated oak adds shape without overwhelming the fruit, and the wine finishes long, warming and energetic.

Winemaking

The Saperavi is grown and produced by Peter Corsini and the Corsini family using traditional methods passed down through generations. No preservatives are added, and the wine is made as a vegan-friendly expression of the estate-grown fruit. The result retains Saperavi’s naturally intense colour, dark-fruit concentration and assertive tannin structure.

Vineyard & Vintage

The 2024 fruit comes from La Cantina’s King Valley estate, where the first Saperavi vines were planted in 2007. The vineyard lies on a gently undulating, east-facing slope at approximately 220–260 metres, with deep clay-loam soils. Warm summer days encourage full flavour, while cool evening breezes descending from Victoria’s high country help the grapes retain freshness and structural balance.

Why We Love It

Saperavi offers something genuinely different from the familiar Australian red varieties. Its naturally coloured flesh creates extraordinary depth in the glass, while the combination of ripe berry fruit, spice and firm tannins makes it wonderfully suited to generous food. La Cantina’s estate-grown, no-added-preservative approach gives this bold grape a vivid and energetic King Valley identity.

Food Pairing

This wine’s dark fruit, firm tannins and warming structure are well suited to slow-cooked dishes, roasted meats, tomato-rich sauces and savoury vegetable bakes.

Try matching this wine with →

• Slow-cooked beef ragu with pappardelle — Find a Recipe
• Eggplant parmigiana with tomato and herbs — Find a Recipe
• Rosemary and garlic roast lamb — Find a Recipe

Mood or occasion to match this wine…

Bring it out for a long winter lunch, a table crowded with Italian comfort food or a dinner where the red needs enough personality to keep up with the conversation. A brief decant makes it especially inviting for a relaxed evening with friends.

Cellaring

Enjoy now for its ripe fruit, energy and firm youthful structure. Store unopened bottles in a cool, dark place. As a no-added-preservative wine, it is best resealed, refrigerated and enjoyed within one to two days after opening.

Producer

La Cantina is a family-owned estate in Victoria’s King Valley, run by the second and third generations of the Corsini family. Its approximately 60-acre vineyard occupies east-facing clay-loam slopes, where warm Mediterranean-style summer days are moderated by cool evening breezes from the nearby high country. All fruit is estate-grown, with the wines made and bottled on site behind the cellar door. Peter Corsini and his family follow winemaking traditions passed down through generations, focusing on vegan-friendly wines made without added preservatives. Saperavi has been part of the vineyard since 2007, reflecting the family’s enthusiasm for distinctive varieties suited to the King Valley.

Related Wines To Try →

Explore more estate-grown, preservative-free wines from the Corsini family:

• Fresh citrus and restrained French-oak texture — La Cantina Preservative Free Chardonnay
• Stone fruit, honey and gentle savoury texture — La Cantina Preservative Free Fiano
• Peachy, aromatic and mineral — La Cantina Preservative Free Albariño

FAQ

What does La Cantina Preservative Free Saperavi 2024 taste like?

It delivers ripe cherry and plum compote, blackberry and warm spice, with a gently savoury undertone. The palate is concentrated and full-bodied, finishing with fine, firm tannins and integrated oak.

Is this Saperavi sweet, and how structured is it?

It drinks as a dry red with generous ripe-fruit flavour rather than sugary sweetness. Expect a full body, medium acidity and medium-high tannins, with 14.8% alcohol contributing warmth and richness.

What kind of grape is Saperavi?

Saperavi is an ancient Georgian red variety whose name relates to ink or dye. It is a rare teinturier grape, meaning its flesh as well as its skin contains colour, producing exceptionally deep wines with dark fruit, acidity and a naturally firm tannin structure.

How should I serve La Cantina Saperavi?

Serve it at approximately 16–18°C in a generously sized red-wine glass. A broad bowl gives the concentrated fruit and spice room to open while softening the impression of the tannins.

Does this wine need decanting?

A 20–30 minute decant is worthwhile for this young, full-bodied Saperavi. Air helps reveal more cherry, plum and spice while allowing the firm tannins to settle into the fruit.

Can it be cellared, and how long will it last after opening?

It is delicious now for its ripe fruit and energetic structure, particularly after a short decant. Once opened, reseal and refrigerate the bottle, then enjoy it within one to two days for the freshest flavour.

Does this wine contain added preservatives or sulphites?

No preservatives are added during production, making this a No Added Preservative wine. Small amounts of sulphites can form naturally during fermentation even when none are deliberately added.

Is La Cantina Preservative Free Saperavi vegan friendly?

Yes, this wine is vegan friendly and made with no added preservatives. It is estate-grown and made by the Corsini family in Victoria’s King Valley.

What food pairs best with this wine?

Its concentration and firm tannins suit roast lamb, slow-cooked beef ragu and rich tomato-based pasta. For a vegetarian match, try eggplant parmigiana, mushroom ragout or grilled vegetables with lentils and herbs.

Who will love this King Valley Saperavi?

It will appeal to drinkers who enjoy full-bodied Shiraz, Durif or dark-fruited Cabernet but want to explore a less familiar variety. If you like deep colour, ripe berry fruit, spice and serious tannin structure, this is an excellent introduction to Saperavi.

(SKU: LC_SAP_CV)