Description

PRODUCER:
K’AVSHIRI is a truly extraordinary project, uniting five years of work by British former wine critic and author of over 25 books, Robert Joseph, and Vladimer Kublashvili, a highly experienced wine judge and chief winemaker for Winery Khareba, one of Georgia’s leading wine companies. The seeds of K’AVSHIRI date back to 1988 when Robert Joseph made his first trip to Georgia, then still part of the Soviet Union. He was fascinated by the history, language, architecture, delicious East-meets-West cuisine and wines like nothing he had tasted before. In 2018, after several other visits to Georgia, Robert Joseph, who had co-created the innovative le Grand Noir wine range in France, met Kublashvili and was immediately struck by his talent and imagination. While tasting wines from indigenous and often rare Georgian grapes from the Kakheti and Imereti regions, the two men began to imagine the creation of a very special wine.

VINEYARD:
The vineyards are situated across a range of altitudes, spanning from 150 to 500 metres above sea level. The prevailing climate is characterised by significant humidity, with summers proving hot and winters moderately cold. Soil composition varies across the key regions. In Kakheti, the soil is predominantly clay and loamy, exhibiting a loose structure. Conversely, in Imereti, the soils are of a humic-calcareous nature. The vineyard plantings are established on a diverse topography, encompassing slightly inclined slopes, terraced areas, and plains. All these sites are oriented towards the north-west and the west, optimising sunlight exposure. Viticultural practices include the use of cover grass between the vines to effectively manage weed growth. The soil is further enriched through mulching and is treated with a combination of organic and mineral fertilisers. The vines are meticulously trained using the Vertical Shoot Position (VSP) method. Pruning is conducted according to the double Guyot system.

WINEMAKING:
The blend comprises: Rkatsiteli (25.5%); Mtsvane (20.3%); Krahuna (14.8%); Tsiska (10.6%); Tsolikouri (8.2%); Khikhvi (6.7%); Kakhuri (4.8%); Aligoté (3.1%); Muscat (2.6%); Mtsvivane (2.2%); Kisi (1.2%). 11.7% was produced in Qvevri, aged in clay amphora for six to nine months. The remaining 85.3 % of the wine was conventionally fermented in stainless steel vats. 5% of the blend was fermented on the skins in stainless steel, imparting complexity. 10% of this wine was aged in 3rd-year oak barrels for three to six months.

VINTAGE:
This wine is a rare multi-vintage blend, following in the footsteps of other top-quality fine wines, produced from four vintages, blending 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2017. Every assemblage will have its own character, and most likely its own combination of grape varieties, while remaining true to the K’AVSHIRI style.

TASTING NOTE:
Complex aromas that evoke white stone fruit, peach, floral blossom and hints of orange. The palate is dry, yet rich and long, with a hint of apricot and passion fruit, underpinned by vanilla oak and a subtle tannic note that comes from the Qvevri grape. The finish is fresh and slightly exotic, thanks to the Kisi, Krakhuna and the hint of Muscat.

GRAPES:
Kavshiri 26%, Krakhuna 8%, Mtsvane 15%, Other Varieties 9%.