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About the wine
An intensely mineral driven Georgian wine, made in the most traditional way possible. Expect lashings of all things salty, savoury, and herbal. Balanced out by a good amount of spice and stone fruits. Fermented and aged in traditional terracotta qvevri, this wine reflects the deep Georgian history of winemaking, this is how it would have tasted all those years ago. Textured, mineral driven and well balanced.
Made with 100% Chinuri (a variety indigenous to Georgia), the grapes are lightly crushed before being poured into 2000l terracotta qvevri which buried are in the floor of the cellar- skins, stems and all. After three weeks of fermentation, the juice is decanted into clean qvevri for a further 6 months rest. This is as old-school as it gets. We find this wine is at its best when served only lightly chilled in order to really bring out its complexities.
About Iago Bitarishvili
Iago Bitarishvili is the current owner of the estate, who’s family have owned the land for twenty years after being given the vineyard by the state, following land reforms in 1992. He farms just a couple of hectares, mostly the white Chinuri grape. The work on the estate harnesses all things tradition, with Iago being passionate about preserving the local traditional techniques. All the wines are fermented in terracotta qvevri (amphora), buried in the floor cellar. Nothing is rushed, with the wine nestling in the earth there is no need for temperature control, and with a strong yeast population the wine makes itself. Iago has twenty-two qvevris, fourteen for fermentation and eight for aging. The wines develop differently in each qvevri, with some of these vessels are more than 250 years old. Wines for those who want a taste of the past.