Gotsa, Mtsvane 2016, Asureti Valley, Kartli, Georgia

Tasting Note: Georgian orange wines are hard to find and many are delicious when you find them.

This amber colored wine is an even more elusive find that puts this ancient, qvevri fermentation method at center stage.

Amber in color, this wine has an aromatic, medium-plus-intensity nose of fermented pear, toasted quince, almond, varnish, stewed apple, blossom and orange-citrus peel.

On the palate the dry, full-bodied amber wine has, medium-plus-intensity, oxidative flavors suggested on the nose supported by medium acidity and completing with a long, floral finish.

The wine is complex from beginning to end with a somewhat velvety texture as a result of the aging on grape skins.

These wines take some getting used to and are not for the unadventurous who wouldn’t appreciate.

Open a bottle with a wine geek and see them give you an affirmative nod up.

Bottle Note: The Gotsadze Family tradition of making wine began with my grandfather Konstantin Gotsadze (1860-1940). Today it continues with my wife Nina, our children and I. The cellar is 1,300 meters above sea level in Kiketi; the very place where Georgia Kings had their favorite wines vinified. Grapes which farmed in our family owned vineyards in the Asureti Valley below are brought to our mountain cellar. The cool temperature allows for a delicately controlled fermentation and aging that expresses the distinctive character of each grape variety and our land. All our wines are fermented with wild yeast, in ancient traditional kvevri: large buried earthenware amphora, and bottled unfiltered. We are proud to offer this expression of our tradition and family. Winemaker and architect, Beka Gotsadze.