40% Rkatsiteli, 30% Mtsvane and 30% Kisi. A bright golden-amber colour with tawny reflections. The palate is complex, harmoniously combining citrus from Rkatsiteli, tropical fruit from Mtsvane and ripe apricot from Kisi. Dried fruit, honey and green tea complete the flavour profile, accompanied by hints of beeswax, quince, liquorice and delicate spices. Fine tannins support this impressive wine, which sometimes gives an impression of sweetness while remaining dry, leading to a beautifully dry finish.

Serve with seafood dishes, poultry, white meat, cheeses and various Asian sweet-and-sour dishes. Also a rewarding wine to savour on its own after a meal.

climate

Kakheti has a temperate continental climate with warm to hot summers and mild, dry winters, strongly influenced by the nearby Caucasus Mountains. As in Tuscany, days are warm while nights can cool considerably, encouraging slow, even ripening.

soil

The vineyards occupy prime sites within the Mukuzani PDO, at altitudes of 450–550 metres. Their soils are fairly similar, with a topsoil of white clay and stones overlying a thick layer of soft carbonate rock (limestone).

vinification

Each grape variety is vinified separately in qvevri before the final blend is assembled. These large clay vessels, holding between 1,300 and 2,500 litres, are buried underground and filled with grapes, juice and sometimes stems. Fermentation begins spontaneously through the yeasts naturally present on the grape skins. The wines then mature for approximately six months without intervention in hermetically sealed vessels, before being separated from their sediment. The blend is then assembled and returned to qvevri, or transferred to other tanks or barrels depending on the desired style, to continue ageing until it is ready for bottling.