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:
This multi-varietal and multi-regional blend comes from four regions: Kakheti 62%; Imereti 15%; Samegrelo 10%, Racha 13%. 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 humiccalcareous 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:
This wine is a complex blend of mostly indigenous varieties, vinified using varying techniques and vessels to create a truly unique wine. Saperavi make up the majority of the blend; it is one of the few wine grapes with black skins and red juice. Ojaleshi, Aleksandrouli, Aladasturi, Otskhanuri Sapere, Merlot, Rkatsiteli, and Mtsvane make up the remainder of the blend. The Aladasturi grapes were air-dried for 10 days using the same drying techniques as Amarone; the Saperavi, Rkatsateli, and Mtsvane were cofermented in stainless steel to enhance elegance. 25% of the wine was fermented in Qvevri, a Georgian earthenware vessel resembling a large amphora, & 5% of the wine (Saperavi) was matured in 3rd year French barrels for nine months.

VINTAGE:
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:
Deep red in colour, this complex blend offers aromas of plums, cherries and wild berries, with a subtle hint of oak and violet, underpinned by plum, cherry, and wild berry notes. On the palate, the rich, dark berry fruit is complemented by nuances of bright red cherry, subtle spice and a touch of vanilla, with polished tannins and a long finish.

GRAPES:
Aladasturi 5%, Aleksandrouli 9%, Merlot 5%, Mtsvane 2%.