Tsolikouri 2021 (Archil Guniava)

Enjoy it now, or cellar for a few years. No need to decant before serving. With a limited range of 18000 bottles each year, every wine made by Archil Guniava is a small piece of history, and they are truly worth seeking out. This small, family-owned winery is located in the Imereti region in western Georgia, a mountainous terroir with a deep wine-making history. Archil Guniava runs the winery with help from his daughter Nina, a respected winemaker in her own right. They use hands-on, organic methods to harvest from their compact 1.5 hectares of vineyards and utilise a variety of indigenous Georgian grapes, including Tsolikouri, which has been dubbed the "Muscadet" of Georgia. It is a wonderful copper colour in the glass, having been fermented with 20% of the grape skins for 4 months. A bouquet of tropical fruits greets you on the nose, ripe pear, pineapple, and hints of dried apricot. Like most Tsolikauri from Imereti, this wine comes with a layer of chalkiness and a strong vein of wet rock that underpins the fruits. On the palate, you can also discover notes of tropical flowers, honey, lemon rind and starfruit. It’s an appealing, easy-drinking wine, suitable for pairing with a variety of foods. Serve it alongside herby chicken and goat’s cheese, or something Mediterranean with savoury spices.