Sébastien David • Vin de Géorgie Primitif 2018

Der größte Orange-Wine der Welt

Vin de Géorgie Primitif 2018

Sébastien David

Georgien

Wine Advocate August 2021 (Reinhardt)

98/100

Sébastien David consulted on Vazisubani Estate's 2018 Vin de Géorgie Primitif, which is a radiant orange blend from Georgia based on Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane grapes that macerated in qvevri for 180 days. The orange color is legendary in its radiant brilliance, and the deep, elegant and concentrated nose displays the most beautiful (and clear) dried apricot and peach aroma imaginable and it is paired with yeasty and spicy notes such as mustard seed but also notes of dried dates and figs, a touch of caramel and porcini. The palate starts finessed and elegant and develops an intense and beautifully balanced texture with seductive fruit, and this all is structured by a complex of very fine tannins and elegant, perfectly integrated acidity. This is the most beautiful orange wine I have ever had, and if you ever want to argue against this beautifully colored wine category, you can't do it seriously without having tasted this Primitif—which would be weightless if it wasn’t that concentrated, intense and gorgeous. The fruit is beautiful from nose to tail, and the finish is very long and seemingly sweet but that’s due to the perfect ripeness, balance and extract of this orange legend. Absolutely adorable. Tasted in June 2021.

I had some fascinating red wines from Sébastien David, who was born in Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil 47 years ago and started making wine in 1999. His family, however, has grown wine since 1634 (or for 15 generations), whereas Sébastien extended the winemaking talents of the family to Georgia, where he produced the finest orange wine I have had in my life (2018 Primitif). At his home base in Saint de Bourgueil, David cultivates 15 hectares of Cabernet Franc on 59 parcels that were partly planted by his grandparents at around the time of World War II. The vineyards (85% on flint stone over limestone, 15% on yellow clay) are certified organic, but since 2004, David also applies biodynamic techniques, which, as he says, has made his wines more vivacious and higher in ripe acidity. The soils have not been plowed since 2012, and the winemaking is pretty much the same as his grandfather applied: working with whole clusters, the grapes ferment spontaneously with wild yeasts, employing carbonic maceration for 25 days, followed by a light pressing to preserve the fruit's characteristics. After the aging in barrels for up to 36 months, the wines are then bottled without filtration or fining, and since 2007, virtually no sulfur is added.

David pays a lot of attention to the tannin structure and doesn't aim for all too fruity wines. Nevertheless, they are irresistibly pure and fruity even though they always start pretty reductive (and benefit from aeration). His beautifully balanced wines are deep, pure, intense and juicy, showing characteristic sur lie aromas along with fine and crunchy tannins and delicate, iodine acidity. The Coëf has been his icon wine, but since the 2016 vintage of the Vin d’une Oreille, there is a new rival from the same stable that has been aged on the lees for three years. It is a full-bodied, intense and powerful yet also silky, fresh and elegant Cabernet Franc with present yet ripe and integrated, refreshing tannins.

For years Sébastien David has been consulting or, as he says, "exchanging wine experiences" with small producers in foreign countries, such as Portugal, Georgia, Amenia and, very soon, also Moldavia. He says he isn’t only a consultant but also an "intern," saying, "I really work with the producers," which includes harvesting, pressing and fermenting. Many of the smaller winegrowers still deliver their grapes to bigger companies but more and more like to handcraft their own wines, and David, whose network must be amazing, is happy to help. He says, "I learn, exchange, develop and deepen my knowledge and the knowledge of the producers as well. I am fascinated about their cultures. I give my point of view, but the most important [thing] is that at the end of the day we share our knowledge and our opinions. I’d never tell them to aim for a European wine style. We respect the particular wine cultures and rather try to sync our palates."

In Georgia, he is co-responsible for the finest orange wine I have had in my life, the 2018 Primitif from the Vazisubani Estate that each fan and especially detractors of amber wines should taste one day!

Drink: 2021- 2050