Nikalas Marani Kisi 2024

Enjoy it now, or cellar for a few years. No need to decant before serving. This is a beautiful amber-coloured wine, packed with fragrant scents of orchard fruits, brioche, wild strawberry and wet clay. It is an intriguing mixture, and classically Georgian in style. It was made using the ancient method of qvevri, where the Kisi grapes were buried underground in clay vessels, and left in contact with their skins for 6 months, imparting an incredible orange colour. Nikalas Marani is a small-scale winery on the right bank of the Alazani River, in the heart of the ancient winemaking region of Kakheti. Originally built in 1928 by the winery’s namesake, Nikala Mgvdliashvili, the building was given a new lease of life in 2005, when it was restored by Nikala’s grandson, Zurab. He is the director of the Natural Wine Association, a union of grape growers and winemakers who use fully organic methods. This Kisi is a full-bodied, multilayered orange wine, with complex fruit notes of persimmon, pear, and small wild berries. It also shows a strong savoury side, with underlying notes of earth, sesame seeds, buttered toast, and saline. The qvevri clay influence shines through on the finish. As with most orange wines, this wine should not be chilled before serving. Aerate for a few minutes, and serve alongside roast vegetables, seafood, or the boat-shaped Georgian cheese bread, Khachapuri.