New World in Kakheti

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury

Moderate amber, with citrus from the Rkatsiteli, tropical notes from the Kakhuri Mtsvane and apricot from the Kisi. Served across a wide band of 12 to 18 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold

Dark roses, smoked prunes and a hint of game on the nose; ripe cassis threaded with inky minerals, spiced cedar and black pepper on the palate, over ripe chalky tannin and vibrant acidity.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Savoury

Golden and thick-textured: earthy aromas over ripe apricot and pear, layered with strong oak, creamy honey and a delicate smokiness, closing pleasantly tannic.

Dry · Light-bodied · High acidity · Festive · Refreshing

Straw-coloured sparkling Mtsvane Kakhuri with citrus and green apple, pleasant acidity and a fine, long-lasting, crisp bead.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold

Napareuli-grown Cabernet Sauvignon put through qvevri fermentation and then French oak: intense cherry colour, pronounced varietal aroma, and a velvety, extracted palate of red fruit, cornelian cherry and black pepper.

Dry · Light-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing

The lightest and crispest white in the range: a gently floral nose, delicate passion fruit on the palate, rolling into lime at the finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing

The estate's white blend made without skin contact: a rich citrus palette with pear and wild flowers, spice for lift, and a fresh mineral-edged citrus finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Refreshing

Teleda's second label, made with a month on the skins rather than the six the Orgo whites get: citrus peel and muskmelon over white fruit, with a thyme lift.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Elegant

A good balance of spicy aromas with a hint of white peach. Organic fruit gives it a balanced body and enhanced floral notes, over six months of skin contact in buried qvevri.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Fruity

Crisp and dry but inclining towards a fuller body from the Saperavi share, with blackberry tones against light quince aromas contributed by the Rkatsiteli.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Organic Saperavi from Napareuli with profound texture and a full body, carrying blackberry against earthy, smoky notes from three months in clay.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Contemplative

Teliani's Glekhuri qvevri Kisi: skin contact gives the amber colour and a pronounced flavour of apricot, dried yellow fruits, spice and honey. Served at 13 to 15 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury

Saperavi from Kisiskhevi village made in qvevri: dark ruby, complex and concentrated ripe cherry and red berries, full-bodied with a smooth tannin structure and a long aftertaste that will age in bottle.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury

Kisi from the Shumi Mziuri vineyard, cropped by green harvest and then fermented on the skins in qvevri with wild yeast in the traditional Kakhetian method.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

The family's varietal Saperavi, fermented on skins in qvevri with wild yeast: cherry and black currant with a peppery edge.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Amber-coloured skin-contact white from the Natroshvili family cellar at Vachnadziani: apricot, pear, apple and peach shading into dried fruit.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Contemplative

Intense amber, with well-expressed tropical fruit and dried fig aromas, a long-lasting finish and a body full of supple tannin. Served at 8 to 10 degrees.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Light straw with golden hues, expressive on the nose with tropical fruit and a hint of citrus. Ageing gives depth and a harmonious structure, closing with a subtly piquant finish. Served at 10 to 12 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Funky · Rustic

Made from hand-picked fruit off a bio-certified vineyard on the Alaverdi Monastery terroir in Akhmeta municipality, within both the Kakheti and Akhmeta PDOs. Khikhvi is a rare local variety of the Akhmeta district.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Rustic

A full-bodied amber from the rare Khikhvi grape, six months on the skins in qvevri, with dried plum and a distinct walnut character.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury

Golden and taut: ripe stone fruit with subtle minerality, a hint of smoke and delicate wax, then a vibrant palate with gentle bitterness and a finely spiced finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Elegant

Deep amber and aromatically layered: citrus and tropical fruit nuances intertwined with quince, beeswax and subtle herbal tones from prolonged maceration on the skins. Pure and balanced, with gentle tannin and a long finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury

Dark straw in colour, with the rare Khikhvi variety's own flavours and cheerful hints of yellow fruit. Best enjoyed at about 14 to 15 degrees.

Medium Sweet · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Fruity

The estate's semi-sweet red in the Kindzmarauli appellation style: Saperavi's dark fruit carried on residual sugar, with enough acidity to keep the sweetness from sitting still.

Medium Sweet · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Fruity · Easygoing

Saperavi from the southwest-facing bank of the Alazani in the Kindzmarauli PDO: vibrant ruby, ripe black fruit on the nose, balanced and smooth with a lingering aftertaste.

Medium Sweet · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Fruity · Easygoing

Saperavi from the Kindzmarauli micro-zone made by classic technology: a strong varietal bouquet with a velvety, harmonious palate. Best enjoyed at 14 to 15 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Funky

A dry white with a powerful up-front punch: sweet peach and almond blossom on the nose carrying through to a clean, crisp hint of kumquat at the finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Funky · Savoury

Kisi is a rare variety found mostly along the Telavi to Akhmeta line, and the winery says pure Kisi wine is always valuable. Here it is made natural and unfiltered with six months on the skins.

Dry · Light-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing

A pale-straw blend of hand-selected Kisi and Kakhuri Mtsvane made off the skins: fresh and subtle, with early peach and tropical fruit.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Elegant

Green plum and apricot sharpened by hazelnut and quince, with a delicate white-flower and sea-vegetable edge. Intense and full-bodied, with pronounced tannin, minerality and a velvety texture.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Elegant

Kisi from the village of Maghraani, golden and full-bodied, given weight by qvevri vinification but kept fresh by a refined acidity.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Contemplative

Deep tawny with a golden tinge, carrying top notes of tropical and dried fruit and honey over a full, harmonious, soft body that is rich in tannin. Served at 8 to 10 degrees.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing

An even split of Mtsvane Kakhuri and Kisi from the Kondoli vineyards, made off the skins: a dry, brisk white rather than an amber, served at 10 to 12 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Single-vineyard Rkatsiteli from the Kondoli hills made as a white rather than an amber, then oak aged. Unusually full for the grape at 14 percent, served at 10 to 12 degrees.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing

The white half of Marani's vegan collection, a dry Kakhetian Chardonnay made without animal-derived fining and served cold at 8 to 10 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative

The Rare Collection Saperavi, oak aged and released long after the vintage. Dry, full-bodied and poured at 18 degrees.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Easygoing

The vegan-collection Saperavi from the Kondoli vineyards, lighter at 12.5 percent than the Satrapezo bottling and poured a little cooler at 17 to 19 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Funky · Rustic

The cellar's first natural wine, made with no winemaker intervention: three months on the skins in qvevri, then barriques left out through a Kakhetian winter.

Medium Sweet · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Fruity · Easygoing

Naturally semi-sweet Saperavi from the Kindzmarauli PDO, where the fruit carries high acidity alongside residual sugar. Red fruits and spice on the nose, sweet blackberry and black cherry confiture on the palate, silky at the close.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Savoury

Saperavi from the Mukuzani PDO, where small concentrated clusters give deeply pigmented, bold wine rich in body and tannin. Dark ruby with sharply expressed cherry balanced by an elegant palate.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing

The Tsinandali PDO blend of Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane, light straw in colour, with tropical fruit, green apple and meadow flowers over a pleasant acidity.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Funky

Rich on the nose with creamy vanilla and exotic spice, this dry white delivers toasted almond with echoes of dry sherry, all of it from the clay rather than from wood.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Funky · Savoury

Mtsvane made by the Kakhetian method runs dark straw, full and fleshy, with a harmonious taste and a tender characteristic aroma. Winemakers nickname the grape the Georgian Riesling for its scent.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Orange and lemon zest lead, trailed by peach, white chocolate and fruit-tree blossom. Full-bodied with balanced acidity, round tannin and a velvety close.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Funky · Rustic

The blend in the range, pairing Mtsvane Kakhuri's fleshier frame with Rkatsiteli's backbone, six months on the skins in qvevri and bottled unfiltered.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Golden straw in colour with a rich, distinctive varietal aroma, gentle herbal tones and a soft, harmonious palate of dried fruit, fig above all, finished with pleasant tannin.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Savoury

Saperavi from Mukuzani vineyards on the north bank of the Alazani, picked from early October and given three years in oak: ripe berries and blackcurrant mellowing into blackberry and spicy oak depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Bold

Saperavi from the Mukuzani micro-zone on the right bank of the Alazani, six to eight months in French oak: red berries and black cherry with tobacco, chocolate and black pepper over silky tannin.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Savoury

Mature but still bright ruby with blue and brick hues. Black mulberry and sweet cherry lifted by spicy oak and vanilla, with a rich velvety tannin sensation across the whole palate.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Bold

Saperavi from the Mukuzani micro-zone, dark ruby with a fine fruity bouquet and a full, fresh, harmonious taste.

Off Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Easygoing · Fruity

A semi-dry Saperavi: ruby coloured with a fresh bouquet of red and black berries, a slight sweetness on the palate balanced by a pleasant acidity.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Contemplative

Dark straw in the glass, with a distinctly varietal aroma and a harmonious, pleasant taste. Khareba serves it warm for a white, at 14 to 15 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Contemplative

Golden amber in the glass with a nose of honey, but dry and unexpectedly full-bodied in the mouth, with notes of walnut and apricot.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing

Pale straw yellow, with a fresh elegant nose of yellow fruits and a hint of exotic citrus. The freshness carries into the mouth: medium-bodied, well balanced, with a bright finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Savoury

Intense golden amber from Rkatsiteli grown around Alaverdi Monastery and vinified in the eleventh century cellar. Vibrant fruit and peach with balanced acidity and a long close.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Funky · Rustic

A natural, unfiltered amber from Kakheti's most widely planted white grape, macerated six months on the skins in qvevri. The winery notes a small noble sediment is possible in the bottle.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Contemplative

A complex bouquet of dried apricot and almond over wild flowers and honey, lifted by mineral notes. Full-bodied with pronounced tannin, balanced acidity and a velvety texture.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Rustic

Moderate amber in colour, with intense dried fruit, fried nut and honey overtones. The body is rich in tannin and the aftertaste harmonious and mildly intense. Served at 8 to 10 degrees.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Savoury

Deep straw yellow, with a delicate bouquet of apple and citrus carrying perfumed notes of peach and ripe pear. Best enjoyed at 10 to 12 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Funky

The estate Saperavi: bold, earthy and dry, with black currant and toasted almond over an elegant, natural tannin structure built entirely in clay.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Bold

The monks' premium dry qvevri red, made from Saperavi grown in the vineyards around Alaverdi Monastery. Deep ruby, velvety on the nose, with expressed tannin, balanced acidity and a long finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Funky · Rustic

The red in Akhmeta Wine House's natural qvevri range, made unfiltered by the traditional Kakhetian method with the phenolics and tannin that long skin contact brings.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Bold

Named for the gvirabi, the tunnel cellar cut into the rock at Kvareli. Rich pomegranate colour with a specific taste of dried fruit and spice and well-developed tannin on the palate.

Sweet · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative

Teleda's fortified dessert Saperavi: sour cherry and forest berries with a raisined core, oak barrel tones for polish, full-bodied with complete tannin and a long finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Bold

Blackberry and sour cherry with spice and tobacco, given depth by a forest-floor note. Rich and full-bodied with refined round tannins and a long finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Savoury

Deep dark ruby, with dark berries lifted by chocolate and oak. The tannins are present but velvety, the acidity balanced, and the aftertaste long.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Bold

Dark pomegranate to purple in the glass, with blackberry, cherry, forest berry and plum combining cheerfully, and the grip that two months on skins and stems brings.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Rustic

Pronounced ripe cherry and elder fruit, with soft, almost mature tannins still short of their final shape. The palate is long and memorable. Best served at 14 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Rustic

Deep pomegranate in colour, with a distinctive bouquet the winery calls memorable and a harmonious taste. Best enjoyed at 16 to 18 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Bold

The reserve bottling takes nine months on the skins rather than the standard three to four weeks: raisined dark fruit and spice over a forest-floor base, full-bodied with refined round tannin and a long finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative

A limited bottling from Saperavi grown near Alaverdi Monastery: deep structure carrying dark berries and ripe plum, with vanilla and oak, velvety tannin and a long refined finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Bold

The estate's reserve, made from Saperavi in the Mukuzani micro-zone. Mature but bright ruby with brick hues, black mulberry and sweet cherry enhanced by spicy oak and coffee, with balanced acidity and marked vinosity.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Fruity

Saperavi given only a short maceration, which in a grape this dark still produces a deep rose: ripe red-berry aromas and a fresh, dry palate.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Fruity

A dry rose from Saperavi: pomegranate and raspberry on the nose, elegant and mild on the palate, finishing clean.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative

Marani's flagship amber: Kondoli-grown Rkatsiteli fermented in qvevri and then given oak. Amber in colour, dry, full-bodied, and served warm for a white at 12 to 15 degrees.

Sweet · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

An ice wine from Kondoli Rkatsiteli, sweet and low in alcohol at 10.5 percent, served cold at 8 to 10 degrees. Marani gives it unlimited shelf life stored between 5 and 12 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative

The rarest wine in the Satrapezo range at around 3,000 bottles: Kondoli Mtsvane Kakhuri worked in qvevri then oak, amber and dry, served at 12 to 15 degrees.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold

The red anchor of the Satrapezo range: Kondoli Saperavi taken through qvevri and then oak, dry and full at 14 percent, poured at 18 to 20 degrees.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing

The European-method Mtsvane from the Schuchmann label rather than the Vinoterra qvevri range: pressed and tank-fermented off the skins, so white-wine texture and citrus lift instead of amber grip.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold

The estate's everyday dry Saperavi under the Schuchmann label, made in the European style rather than in qvevri: dark, firm and straightforwardly fruited.

Dry · Light-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Festive

Mtsvane picked in mid-August and taken through its primary fermentation in qvevri: green apple and lime with pear, peach and a yeasty edge, closing fresh and mineral.

Dry · Light-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Fruity

A pale, perfumed red the winery describes as favoured at the royal tables: a light floral nose with bright cranberry and hibiscus flavours.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium acidity · Easygoing

Straw-coloured Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane Kakhuri made the European way, off the skins: clean, fresh, with banana and tropical fruit and a pleasant acidity.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Easygoing · Fruity

Teliani's everyday Saperavi in the Teluri range: cornel-coloured, with the primary black fruit and berry aromas characteristic of young Saperavi.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing

The classic Tsinandali blend of Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane, made without skin contact: a dry, brisk, citrus-toned white rather than an amber wine.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing

Light straw in colour with a mild, light bouquet, but complete and multifaceted on the palate. The appellation blend of Mtsvane and Rkatsiteli from Telavi municipality.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing

The appellation blend of Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane made by classic technology off the skins: light yellow straw with a vivid, soft and harmonious taste. Served at 14 to 15 degrees.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing

A western Georgian grape made in Sighnaghi with only minimal skin maceration in qvevri, giving lively honeysuckle and kumquat tones.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Elegant

Kisi is the rarer, finer-boned cousin of Rkatsiteli. Qvevri-fermented then oak-matured, it lands somewhere between dried apricot and toasted hazelnut.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Contemplative

Floral and delicate on the nose, faintly nutty, with dried fruit, coriander and white pepper; the palate runs to lemon tea and spice with a slight tannic grip from the skins.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Contemplative

Kakheti's benchmark amber grape worked the traditional way: skin contact gives tannin and a tea-leaf grip behind dried stone fruit and nut.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Bold

The Vinoterra qvevri Saperavi: extended skin contact, no oak, so the fruit and the clay do the talking. Full-bodied, firm and savoury with a long dark-berry finish.