Rkatsiteli 2023

Alcohol: 13%
Total Acidity: probably around 6.5 g/L
Residual Sugar: likely less than .5 g/L
Sulfur: None Added

terraced vineyards on alluvial marl and clay
Altitude: 325-585m
Vineyard Age: 8 years

Grown on the terraced slopes of the Kartli hillside looking up at the monastery. The soil is mostly alluvial with pockets of clay. The grapes are hand harvested by the monastic team. Pressed, then fermented in qvevri. This white grape is fermented and aged on its skins and stems, the traditional Georgian way. I wish I could say more but they are a bit guarded with their wine making style. Just a part of the monastic lifestyle....

Though it is now grown throughout Georgia as well as abroad, the Rkatsiteli white grape variety is believed to have first emerged in eastern Georgia in the first century. Rkatsiteli makes noticeably acidic but balanced white wines with a full flavor profile and good body. Restrained and refreshing, with crisp green-apple flavors and hints of quince and white peach, Rkatsiteli wines are more complex when produced using the traditional Georgian qvevri method. Rkatsiteli grapes result in high-quality table wines, regional wines, and appellation-controlled wines. Rkatsiteli grapes are frequently mixed with the Mtsvane Kakhuri variety.

Duck with Persimmon, Kung Pao Chicken, Oaxacan Molé, Rabbit Stew, Khachapuri, Anything with Apricots, Lamb Tajin, Saffron Rice

• Chinese, Georgian, Mexican, North African, Persian