Note from Jake: This post has been updated, revised, and generally improved.  In part in reaction to an email and phone call from Keith Johnsen, who imports some of these wines, and in part because on reading the post, it was really badly written.  - Jake

Yesterday (December 4th), I went to one of those incredibly frustrating tastings that are so much a part of what I’ve been doing for the last twenty months or so.  It was a tasting of Georgian wines, sponsored by the Georgian Ministry of Agricultureand USAID.   The frustrating part of the tasting wasn’t that the wines were bad — in fact there were a lot that were quite good, or that the tasting was badly organized (topic for another time), but rather that some ofthe best wines, and a stunning brandy that was being shown, aren’t currently available in the United States. 

Will more of these wines (and more importantly those brandies) make it to the US?  It’s an interesting question, and there isn’t an easy answer.   The wines are unfamiliar to us both from the point of view of some of the traditional styles (amphora aged wines, and semi-sweet reds anyone) , and in grape varieties  (when was the last time you drank a Tsinandali, or a Rkatsiteli?).    But the best of the wines are better than just interesting, they are quite good, and probably worth a bit of our time.   

Georgian wine is some of the oldest (from a historical point of view) in the world, with a sophisticated wine making tradition dating back several thousand years.  The market for Georgian wine has traditionally been at home, and in recent history also in Russia: immediately before, during and after the Soviet Era.  Because of this they haven’t had much need for Western Europe or the United States as markets, because everything that was produced was consumed and paid for quickly in Georgia or Russia.  Beginning with an seemingly politically motivated ban on Georgian wine Russia, in 2006, and continuing to the present situation (Russian invasion et al), Georgian winemakers are looking for new places to sell their wines, and with one of the fastest growing wine consumption rates in the world, the United States is high on their list. 

This, admittedly limited, tasting was the most extensive selection of Georgian wine that I had tasted by a longshot.  I thought that at the lowest end of the price spectrum (under $10 retail) these wines couldn’t compete with similarly priced wines from Spain, Argentina, and even the US.  However, the next tier of wines  ($10 - $25 retail) provide some excellent values, and even a few wines worth seeking out regardless of price.    The most interesting of the wines, those aged in kvevri (amphora) are not going to appeal to everyone, likewise the off-dry reds, but in the best cases, both are worth a try, and there are plenty more straightforward wines in the mix for the less adventurous . . . . The trick is finding them.   

With this in mind, I offer an abbreviated list of the wines (and the Brandy) I tasted that stood out along with information about whether they are available yet in the states.

Teliani Valley  - This winery from Kakheti is probalby the most common Georgian wine in the US, and it represents a great introduction to the others.  In fact, I’ve had a mixed case of this at my house that I have been slowly pouring over for the last six months or so, and there are many pleasant surprises here. 

The real hits of this line-up are

2004 Teliani Valley Tsinandali  - from the Tsinandali sub-region of Kakheti, a white wine blended from Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane grapes.  The wine is crisp, with lots of fresh apple, lemon and pleasant apple cidery flavors, but also has a waxy texture that some people will no doubt love, and others will be less attracted to.  About $12 retail.

2005 Teliani Valley Kindzmarauli - This is an off-dry red (really, and its really good) that is a traditional style in Geogia.  the wine is made from Saperavi grapes, that are cold-stabilized to end fermentation before the wine is completely dry.  The result is a wine that has a very vibrant, nearly electric red fruit character that balances the acidity and firm tannins perfectly.  It’s not a dessert wine, but rather something to drink with a particularly rich dish at dinner (it would be a great holiday wine).  About $19 retail.

Mildiani -  Some of you might be familiar with this producer because three of the wines are floor-stacked at Whole Foods right now.  Unfortunately, they are not my favorite wines from the region (or even wines I liked).  The pricing here is attractive, with most of the wines retailing for less than $10, but they are thin and simple, tasting green and unripe to my palate.  It’s  worth noting that not everyone agrees with my opinions here: both the buyer at Whole Foods in the Northwest (Erez Klein) and the owner of the Daqopa Brands (Keith Johnsen) who imports Mildiani’s wines referred me columns by respected wine writers Paul Gregutt and Richard Kinsies who agree with them that Mildiani wines are really good, and excellent values.  (The link on each writers’ name is to their columns).  I have also agreed to re-taste the Mildiani wines this week and will post any updates to these notes that I think are warranted at that time.   

Vinoterra - This is a producer that is more committed to using some of the traditional Georgian techniques than the previous two, despite its recent purchase by the German  firm Schulman.  Of the wines already available in the US, these were far and away my favorites, both in terms of quality and of character.   The traditional wines from Georgia are often fermented, macerated and aged for long periods of time in buried amphorae called kvevri.  The result here is some wines in the line that are a bit esoteric for some tastes, but all were exciting and worth seeking out. 

2006 Vinoterra Kisi - a white from another native white grape, Kisi.  This wine has character to spare, with lots of fresh, baked and candied red appple, cinamon, steel wool, and spice on the nose and palate, a medium body, plenty of acidity, and a nearly pink border from extended time on the skins after fermentation.  This is a perfect holiday white.  About $20 retail.

2007 Vinoterra Tsinandali - White wine blended from Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane grapes.  Notes of apricot, honey, green apple and apple blossoms on the nose, with a beautiful acidity and hints of saltiness on the palate.  Long and pretty.  About $15 retail (coming soon, but not yet availble)

2005 Vinoterra Tsinandali - again, a white wine blended from Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane grapes.  This wine is full of apricot, green apple, waxy characters, and has big, elegant acidity and a very long finish.  really pretty wine.  Available at Whole foods in the Pacific Northwest for $15

Now the producers who aren’t imported yet, but hopefully will be soon

Telavi Wine Cellar - I don’t have much information about this Kakheti winery, but some of the wines were outstanding.  The had 3 of the off-dry reds that are so much a part of Georgian wine making, and two were quite good. 

2005 Telavi Wine Cellar Napareuli - Napareuli is a sub-appellation of Kakheti, and the wines there are red wines from the Saperavi grape.  This one was typical, but better than many of the others I tried.  Dry, medium-bodied with notes of red plum, quince, raspberry and white pepper.  The wine was layered and substantial and very tasty.  Unfortunately, not available.

2005 Telavi Wine Cellar Kindzmarauli - an off-dry red from Saperavi grapes.  it is a stunny Magenta color, with a nose of blackberry and plum jelly, lots of clove and mace like spicey notes, and a pleasant hint of Volatile Acidity (its okay in this context, really) that makse the nose smell like apple cider.  On the palate, there were lots of silky tannins, a hint of sweetness (no more than an over the top Zinfandel) and a long, layered finish.  Really tasty, unfortunately, not available.

2005 Telavi Wine Cellar Khvanchkara - this off-dry red, made from Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli grapes from Racha was one of the standouts of the tasting.  A vibrant ruby color, aromas of spiced plums, apple jelly, cinamon, clove, and a bright, medium-full bodied palate that was just sweet enough to make the tannins and acid seem soft.  Again, unfortunately not available.

Tbilvino - the winery that stole the show, and is, alas, not yet imported to the US. 

2005 Tbilvino Tsinandali - A white wine from the Tsinandali sub-appellation made from Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane grapes.   This one is full of smoky apricot, quince and honeysuckle aromas with a fresh, dry palate, lots of bristling acidity, and a pleasantly rich, long finish.  A really tasty wine that would probably retail for about $12 in the US if it were available.

2004 Tbilvino Tsinandali Special Reserve - Oak aged version of the above wine.  Though the oak is noticible, it provides a pleasant richness, and adds a spicy note that really fleshes out the flavors of yellow apple, apricot, flowers and smoke.  The texture of this wine is truly classy, with a richness that balances the substantial acidity and a long, seductive finish. 

2007 Tbilvino Saperavi- A red wine made from the Saperavi Grape.  Dry, medium-bodied, hints of oak, lots of spicy red fruits: cherries, raspberries, red plums, white pepper, mace, caradmom.  Not a rich wine, but rather a spicey red wine that would be great as a starter (or a bit chilled).  really fun, but alas, not available. 

2002 Tbilvino Saperavi Special Reserve - This dry, medium-full-bodied red exhibited cedar, blackberries, black plum and hints of smoke and pepper on nose.  On the palate, it was classy, with elegant tannins, a long finish, and a rich mid-palate.  Another really classy wine that we can’t get (are you beginning to see why i’m frustrated!)

The reserves here are in a very international style (read: rich and oaky, with expensive, pretty pakaging) that some purists might not find authentic enough for their tastes.  It was even suggested to me that the oak regime wouldn’t stand up to serious scrutiny in the US or Western Europe.  But I liked both the main line of wines and the reserves a lot.  I thought it was notable that the grapes stood up the solid oak very well: maintaining balance and character, and even becoming a little more complex. 

Bagrationi 1882 - the largest sparkling wine producer in Georgia, making some really good sparklers using both the Traditional Methode (2nd fermentation in the bottle) and the Charmat Process (2nd fermentation in presurized vats, then bottles under pressure to retain the gas) using native Georgian grape varieties.   The say that they are negotiating a deal to be imported as I write this.

2007 Bagrationi 1882 Royal Cuvée Brut - this wine is the homage to their namesake Prince Ivane Bgrationi-Mukhraneli who first produced sparkling wine using the Methode Tradtional in 1882.  It’s also the best of their wines that I have tried.  Fine bubbles and a complex nose of peach, toast, cocoa and acacia.  The nearly dry palate was delicate and floral, with a distinct mineral character, and the bubbles were quite fine.  The wine is made from Tsitska, Chinebuli and Goruli Mtsvane grapes. 

Sarajishvili - not a winery, but a brandy distillery.  Their representative told me that they use Copper post stills, and age the spirits in French oak.  Further, he said that the grapes they use are Rkatsiteli and Tsitska.  Some of these, particularly the older ones, were truly outstanding.  Again, not imported to the US.

Sarajishvili VSOP - though not regulated by the strict ageing requirements of Cognac, the representative assured me that this was in fact aged in oak for 8-10 years (much longer than a VSOP Cognac).  The color on all of these brandies was strangely yellow, and this was no exception, with a mohagany hue and pale yellow edges.  On the nose, the spirit was wheaty with notes of vanilla, brown sugar and baked lemons.  On the palate, the spirit was mellow, had a layered, rich mouthfeel, and lots of burnt sugar and peppery notes on the very pleasant, warming finish.  This was pretty good stuff.

Sarjishvili Very Old (12 Years) - This was seriously classy.  Again, a mohagany color with a pale yellow edge.  Notes of caramel, fresh baked bread, pepper, caramlized orange peel and a long, layered finish that was pleasantly marked by acidity, peppery spice and brulee character. 

Sarajishvili Eniseli (14 Years) - This was the winner, from a single village, aged 14 years in oak.  The color here wasn’t darker, but for the first time, the Mohagany dominated the yellow.  The nose was explosive with all manner of baking spice, caramel, molasses, candied citrus and peppery spices like cardamom and white pepper.  The palate was mellow, but with an undercurrant of brooding spice and a really long, layered, complex finish.  This outshined the 18 year XO by quite a bit.