The Wines of Georgia
23rd May 2007
Georgia is often regarded as the birthplace of winemaking. Archaeological excavations have revealed grape seeds that date back to 7,000 – 6,000 years BCE and large clay jars that have been dated to 3,000 years ago. In his Agonautica written around 295 BC, Apollonius of Rhodes praises Georgian wine. Georgia has around 500 indigenous varieties, of which 38 are kept at levels for commercial production.
The most common red wine comes from the saperavi variety, apparently an ancestor of syrah. I found all the saperavi wines to have a very gentle soft red fruit palate, that makes them very attractive, very easy drinking wines that could do very well in the on trade, particularly pubs and bars. Saperavi is unusual in that it actually has a red juice.
It’s also noteworthy – and very welcome – that the alcohol content of these wines is kept low in relation to trends elsewhere. In part this may be due to the practice of harvesting early, because of the very hot summers.
Kindzmaraulis Marani
The Kindzmareuli wine region is located in Kakheti at the foot of the
Caucasus Mountains, one of, if not the oldest wine making regions of
the world. Kindzmaraulis Marani (the Kindzmarauli Winery) was
founded in 2000, with its own vine nursery, and now has vineyards
covering 435 hectares in Kvareli (apparently one of the best wine
regions of Kakheti), planted with indigenous Georgian
varieties. Construction of the winery began in 2003 and was
completed in 2005. It is capable of processing around 5,000
tonnes of grapes a year.
Georgia’s history of wine production means there is a large number of indigenous varieties: Kindzmaraulis Marani aims to revive varieties that have died out or are endangered. One hectare of the vineyards is set aside to grow a sort of archive stock of vines. Across all its vineyards, the company currently grows the following varieties: rkatsiteli, Kakhetian mtsvane, kisi, khikhvi, pink muscat, saperavi, cabernet sauvignon, budeshuri, otskhanuri sapare.
2006 Kisi, Kindzmaraulis Marani
Bottled on the 16th May 2007. Quite a
floral, rather muscatty nose. Minerally palate –
quite floral and a bit extracted. Nevertheless an interesting
wine with nice character. Very Good. 86/100
2006 Mtsvane, Kindzmaraulis Marani
Bottled on the 16th May 2007. This has
a decent nose with some interest. Nice palate. Very
interesting. Good character and interest. Very Good
Indeed. 89/100
2006 Khikhvi, Kindzmaraulis Marani
Bottled on the 16th May 2007.
Concentrated, sweet nutty nose. Interesting palate.
Very Good. 87/100
2005 Manavi, Kakheti, Kindzmaraulis Marani,
12.5%
Manavi is a dry white made from the mtsvane variety in the region
around the village of Manavi in Kakheti. It has a nice
attractive nose with floral, concentrated almonds. Lovely
floral palate with hints of muscat, but with some curious body
too. Interesting and rather good. Very
Good. 88/100
2005 Kakhetian Royal, Kakheti, Kindzmaraulis Marani,
13%
The white Kakhetian Royal is a blend of rkatsiteli, mtsvane and khikhvi
grown in Kvareli in Kakheti. It is made in the ancient style
with fermentation in clay pots. It has a deep gold colour and
a soft, aromatic nose though it’s not especially floral, but
with hints of sherry. Lovely palate. Very
interesting with some powerful, yet pleasant extracted
flavours. There’s a weight on the palate that leads
one to the idea that it might be a touch sweet, but it
isn’t. Very good clean finish with tannins
noticeable on the finish and after. Very Good
Indeed. 91/100
2005 Kvareli, Kakheti, Kindzmaraulis Marani,
12.5%
This is a blend of saperavi and the less common budeshuri grown in
Kvareli. This has a very nice nose with red and black fruits
and a nice meatiness. Very nice palate with good
concentration, which gives it more character than the single
varieties. Very Good Indeed. 91/100
2005 Saperavi, Kakheti, Kindzmaraulis Marani,
12.5%
100% saperavi from the Kindzmarauli region of the Kakheti.
This has a good nose with soft red fruits. There are quite
pure fruit flavours on the palate with good tannic structure appearing
towards the finish. Very Good. 87/100
2005 Kakhetian Royal, Kakheti, Kindzmaraulis Marani,
12.5%
The red Kakhetian Royal is a blend of 80% saperavi and 20% budeshuri
grown in kvareli in the Kakheti region. It has very
concentrated black fruits, not unlike a super cuvée syrah
from the Rhône. Very rich, creamy palate, with very
fine, elegant fruit. A lovely drink. Very Good
Indeed. 91/100
2005 Kindzmarauli Original Semi-Sweet, Kakheti,
Kindzmaraulis Marani, 10.5%
The fermentation is stopped by chilling. It has quite a
delicate, fairly floral nose with sweet red fruits. An
elegant restrained palate with a gentle sweetness. Very
pleasant. Very Good. 87/100
Telavi Wine Cellar
The Telavi Wine Cellar was established in 1915 in the Alazani river
valley in the Caucasus. The company was revived in
1997. They have their own vine nursery capable of producing
200,000 vines per year, and vineyards in three main appellations:
Tsinandali for white wines, Mukuzani and Kindzmarauli for
reds. The vineyards are planted, according to location, with
Saveravi, Mujuretuli, Usakhelauri, Rkatsiteli, Qisi, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Chardonnay.
2006 Mtsvane Marani, Georgia, Telavi Wine Cellar,
14%
A floral, very dry nose. Clean and precise on the
palate. A bit sauvignon-like with chenin edges. An
interesting wine. Very Good. 85/100
2005 Kondoli, Tsinandali appellation, Kakheti, Telavi
Wine Cellar, 12.5%
This is a blend of three Georgian varieties: rkatsiteli, mtsvane and
qisi. It has a fresh, gently fragrant nose. Very
nice palate: very balanced with interesting fresh fruit and mineral
flavours. Very Good. 87/100
2006 Saperavi Marani, Telavi Wine Cellar,
13.5%
This has soft cherry fruit on the nose. There is soft, very young fruit
on the palate, and it has a nice gentle spicing. I guess you
might call this a Saperavi Nouveau. 87/100
2004 Saperavi, Mukuzani appellation, Kakheti, Telavi
Wine Cellar,
There is restrained cherry fruit on the nose. On the palate
there is some exceedingly soft fruit. There’s some
spicy oak evident on the finish (the wine spends eight months in French
oak). Very Good+. 88/100
2004 Saperavi, Satrapezo, Telavi Wine Cellar,
13%
Aged in oak for 24 months. There is integrated oak and cherry
fruit on the nose, which is very even. Very soft palate, with
soft, easy red fruits. Very Good. 88/100
Mildiani
2004 Tsinandali, Mildiani, Georgia, 12%
A white wine made from the rkatsiteli grape grown in vineyards around
the village of Tsinandali. It has quite a spirity stone fruit
nose. Unfortunately it’s not chilled and is
actually very warm, which does it now favours at all. It has
some fairly concentrated dried fruit flavours and some acidity on the
finish. Good/Very Good. 85/100
2004 Mukuzani, Mildiani, Georgia, 12%
From the saperavi grape grown in vineyards around the village of
Mukuzani. A soft open fragrant red fruit nose. Very
open, velvety, gentle palate. Very easy, soft, fruity
drinking. Very attractive. Very Good Indeed. 89/100
2004 Khvanchkara, Mildiani,
Georgia, 11.5%
This is a semi-sweet red wine made from the alexandrouli and mujuretuli
varieties grown in the village of Khvanchkara. Unlike most of
the other wines on show, which come from eastern Georgia, this wine
comes from western Georgia. It has a sweet, perfumed red
fruit nose. Rather interesting on the palate, though I think
the main interest comes from the unusual grape varieties rather than
the winemaking. Pleasant, but not overly thrilling.
Good. 83/100
Other Georgian Wines Tasted
2005 Mtsvane, Tamada, Georgia, 12.5%
www.tamada.ge.
Mtsvane is the grape. A grassy, gently fragrant, fresh
nose. Full palate with a hint of raisining, but without any
especially noticeable sweetness. This is interesting
stuff. Very nice clean finish with huge length and very nice
after. Very Good Indeed. 90/100
2004 Tsinandali Special Reserve Limited Release,
Tbilvino, Kakheti, Georgia, 13%
A blend of rkatsiteli and mtsvane, aged in oak for nine
months. A very interesting nose: a touch marzipanny and
concentrated with almonds and a slight spiritiness. Very good
palate: creamy and round from judicious oaking. Full and
richly flavoured with sweet dried fruit character, but it’s
bone dry and has a nice acidity too. Good balance.
Very Good Indeed. 91/100
2005 Old Tbilisi, Georgia, 12.5% (www.gws.ge)
This is a blend of rkatsiteli and mtsvane. This has an
attractive nose, somewhat reminiscent of a semillon-sauvignon
blend. There’s quite a rich feel to the fruit on
the palate, with very fine balancing acidity. A nice clean
mouthfeel with plenty of interest and character. Very Good
Indeed. 89/100
2006 Saperavi, Tamada,
Georgia, 12.5%
A very deep, inky purple colour. There’s attractive
perfumed black fruit on the nose: blackberries with some blueberry
character too. Very fresh, very young, vibrant fruit on the
palate. This has a fairly sweet mouthfeel and is very easy
with a delicious juiciness. Very Good/Very Good
Indeed. 88/100
2005 Saperavi Reserve, Tamada,
12.5%
Aged in oak for a year. There’s sweet, sawdusty
vanilla and oak on the nose. This hasn’t taken well
to the oak at all, or at least it’s going to need a lot of
time to integrate, though I doubt it will. OK.
79/100
2004 Old Tbilisi Saperavi Dzelshavi, Dry Red Wine,
Georgia, 12%
This is a blend of 90% saperavi and 10% dzelshavi.
An interesting nose, though not over characterful. Soft, easy
ripe fruit on the palate. Quite gentle and easy, though
there’s some structure too. Good+. 85/100
2004 Saperavi, Tbilvino, 13%
A very strange nose: quite muddy and unclear. Unattractive
palate. The poorest of these by far. 74/100
2004 Mukuzani, Tbilvino, 13%
From the Kakheti region and the saperavi grape. Muddy,
slightly stinky nose. Decent palate initially, but
it’s overtaken by a huge, severe astringency.
Poor. 76/100
2005 Saperavi Limited Edition, Akhasheni Village,
Kakheti, Georgia, Maisuradze Wines, 14%
The saperavi vines for this wine are around 40-50 years old.
The nose has ripe red fruits with a nice sweet perfume. Very
clean and open on the palate, though there’s a certain
hollowness and tannic astringency, before some chocolate and tannins
come through on the finish. Good. 83/100
2005 Mukuzani Limited Edition, Mukuzani Village,
Kakheti, Georgia, Maisuradze Wines, 14%
100% saperavi, from vines aged between 40 and 50 years, aged in new
French oak. A rich, deep plummy fragrant nose.
There’s soft fruit on the palate initially, but
it’s rapidly overtaken by a huge over-oaking. Very
sandy, grainy tannins dominate the palate completely.
Overdone and spoiled. OK. 78/100
2005 Tsinandali, Kakheti, Vinoterra, 12.5%
100% rkatsiteli. This has an interesting nose: floral yet
rather muted. Nice palate. This is a soft, easy
wine with nice balance. There’s good acidity on the
finish which keeps it lovely and fresh. Very Good
Indeed. 89/100
2005 Kisi, Vinoterra, 12.5%
This 100% kisi is made by the classic Georgian
‘technology’, that is it is fermented in kvevri
(clay jars), and then matured in oak: a style which has been taken on
by Josko Gravner in Friuli in Italy. It has a rich almondy
nose with some salty savouriness. Lovely palate: really very
nice indeed and with huge interest. There’s lots of
character and interest, and it’s less challenging than the
Gravner whites, though the style is identical.
Excellent. 94/100
2003 Saperavi, Vinoterra, 12.5%
Clay jar fermented. This has a rather curious nose with smoky
black fruits. Rather astringent on the palate, especially in
comparison with the other saperavi wines. Odd, gentle, open
and slightly porty on the palate, but without the sweetness.
Very Good+. 88/100
2004 Mukuzani, Kakheti, Kakhuri, 13%
100% saperavi. An interesting nose with sweet black fruit and
deep perfumed violets. Interesting palate with more structure
than some of the other saperavis. It has some very
interesting flavours and a unique character. Quite fresh,
with a nice structure. Very Good Indeed. 89/100
2005 Shumi, 12%
Shumi is the name of the wine and the producer, with just the single
word appearing on the label. It is a dry white, and a blend
of 70% rkatsiteli and 30% mtsvane. It has a very floral,
elegant nose with some green notes. Interesting palate, but a
bit hard. Good. 83/100
Just for anyone looking for notes on wines made in the state of Georgia in the United States of America, here's a few notes made the same day as those above:
Persimmon Creek Vineyards
Clayton, Georgia, USA
Located in the cool climate of the North Georgia Mountains, at an alitutde of around 2000 feet, Persimmon Creek Vineyards was established in the latter half of 2000 by William and Mary Hardman, with vineyards planted along the Persimmon Creek. The mean temperatures in Persimmon Creek between late April and September go from the mid 60s in May and September to the mid 70s to mid 80s in June, July and August. This is at least 10 degrees lower than most of America’s West Coast, though a few degrees warmer than the top half of the East Coast and Canada.
2006 Seyval Blanc, Persimmon Creek, Georgia, USA,
11%
310 cases produced. An interesting, somewhat curious perfumed
nose. Fragrant, floral white flower flavours on the palate,
with a bit of a soapy feel. Not bad, but it’s not
much more than a curiosity. Good-ish. 82/100
2006 Riesling, Persimmon Creek, Georgia, USA,
10%
200 cases produced. Persimmon Creek is the only winery in
Georgia that produces a 100% estate grown and bottled
riesling. This has a chalky lime nose. Not bad on
the palate: clean and fresh; though it feels a little
confected. Good. 83/100
2005 Cabernet Franc, Persimmon Creek Vineyards,
Georgia, USA, 13%
The cabernet franc vines were planted in 2000, producing 250 cases of
the 2005 vintage. The wine was aged in equal proportions of
new French oak, American oak and Hungarian oak. The nose has
dusty, stalky dark fruits. On the palate it’s ripe
and unbalanced and not terribly nice. OK. 78/100
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Last updated: 13 July 2007