Archil Guniava Tsitska Tsolikouri Krakhuna 2022

Georgia's full of small-scale winemakers like Archil Guniava, and fortunately the ones whose wines make it over here tend to be the cream of the crop - this one in particular earning praise in a Decanter tasting. It's a blend of three indigenous varieties - Tsitska, Tsolikouri and Krakhuna - fermented on the skins and aged in traditional qvevri, the buried clay vessels that have been used in Georgia for thousands of years. The result is an 'orange' wine that leans more towards freshness rather than weight. Mineral and stone fruit notes lead - apricot and peach - with citrus keeping things bright and a razor-sharp acidity running through. There's texture and depth that you get from skin contact, but nothing that detracts from its lively nature. Finishing long with a characteristic tangy edge, there's lots going on here.

Great with food and really versatile. Works really well with chicken and white meat dishes, salads and cheeses.

Archil Guniava's small operation, with less than 2 hectares of vines and an annual production rarely exceeding 15,000 bottles, sits up in the hills above Zestafoni in Georgia's Imereti wine region. Despite the vineyard’s diminutive size, Archil cultivates a multitude of native varieties. Winemaking here is done traditionally, with fermentations in old clay qvevris buried in the cellar floor, and he follows minimal intervention in the cellar and organic practices in the vineyard. Although there's not much of his wine about, his reputation as one of Georgia's best winemakers means some of it has ventured abroad, receiving wide praise.