Tsolikouri 2020 (Lagvinari)

Drink now or cellar for up to 8 years. Serve chilled. With a winemaking history that stretches back some 8,000 years, the country of Georgia is regarded as a hidden secret amongst wine enthusiasts for its excellent natural wines. Eko Glonti previously worked as a medical doctor and then a geologist before discovering a passion for winemaking at the age of 49. He founded Lagvinari winery in Georgia’s premier winemaking region, making his first vintage in 2011 in collaboration with famed natural wine writer Isabelle Legeron. Tsolikouri is an indigenous Georgian grape variety that is still little-known outside of the country. This characterful orange wine is created by fermenting and ageing the wine in large clay pots or qvevri with plenty of skin contact. This method gives the wine a striking deep amber hue as well as plenty of tannins from the skins of the grapes and a wonderfully complex flavour profile. In the glass you’ll immediately notice enticing hints of sweet caramel, persimmon, apple, and zingy clementine. On the palate there’s a generous medium body, refined tannins, and a solid core of ripe orchard fruit along with hints of toasted nuts, spice, and cedar and on the long finish.