Nose
Infused with a rich bouquet of white cherry, dried herbs, dried figs and quince.
Palate
It exhibits its luxurious qualities with playful acidity and delicate ripe tannins that colourfully shimmer with a moderately full body and a silky prolonged finish.
Growing Conditions
The name “Askaneli” is associated with the small, magical village of Askana, located in the beautiful region of Guria, where the old cellar, built by the brothers ancestor, Antimoz Chkhaidze, still stands. The founder of Askaneli Brothers, Gocha Chkhaidze, has been working for years to revitalise Georgian viticulture, preserve and recover unique grape varieties. The company owns hundreds of hectares of vineyards, two winemaking facilities (in Kakheti and Tbilisi) and one fruit distillery in Guria. Askaneli Brothers is located in Georgia’s western Guria region, which is close to the Black Sea and has an unique humid subtropical climate from the mountain and sea air. Such a location makes it suitable for cultivating several rare grape varieties. The winery sits near the flowing Kurta River and vineyards throughout Kakheti range from 280-590m above sea level. Pruning: 2 twigs, vertical, Georgian.
Harvest
In order for grape bunches to ripen properly, excess leaves are removed. Akaneli believe that vines are living, sensitive organisms. “That is why Georgian folk polyphonic music sounds loudly over the Askaneli vineyards. The grapes will grow better and the wine will be tastier and more aromatic”. Healthy and ripe grapes are harvested by hand. Harvesting begins in late summer or early autumn and ends in late November. The earliest harvest takes place in Kakheti, the latest in western Georgia: Guria and Racha-Lechkhumi. White varieties are usually harvested earlier than reds to maintain the acidity. Red varieties take longer to ripen. The harvested grapes are placed in special 12kg boxes and delivered to the winery in order to avoid damage as much as possible.
Bottling
After a full cycle of ageing, the wine is prepared for bottling. The bottling is carried out by the company in accordance with the conditions specially created at the enterprise and ultra-modern equipment.
Winemaking
Askaneli use a synthesis of traditional Georgian methods and modern technologies to capture the vivid expression of the unique properties of this special grape variety. Before pressing, staff carefully select the grapes and sort them on a special mobile table. Immediately after squeezing the grape juice, the winemakers start making wine (fermentation, removal from the sediment, clarification, etc.). For the production of each wine, an individual, creative approach is used. The winery of the Askaneli Brothers is fully equipped with modern equipment for high-quality control of all the necessary technological processes. After pressing, the skins are removed from the must. At the same time, specially selected yeast is added to the grape juice for fermentation. To preserve the sweetness of the wines, the process of stopping the fermentation process with low temperature is used. Rkatsiteli Qvevri is made with the traditional Georgian method using pulp during fermentation in an earthenware clay vessel – qvevri. This wine transmits the vine energy and the sacred power of the Georgian land. The Rkatsiteli variety itself, filled with the sunshine of Kakheti, showcases its best qualities with this ancient technology and qvevri itself gives the wine an exceptional perfectionThe fermentation process takes place in Qvevri at temperatures between 20-25 degree C.
Aging
Rkatsiteli wines are ripened and aged in qvevri (large earthenware clay jugs) for 6 months according to the traditional Kakhetian technology. In addition, the finished wines are aged in bottle for a further 6 months.
Appearance
A light golden-amber colour.
Food Pairing
Various cheeses, salads, seafood, fish and poultry including goose and duck. Ideal Temperature to serve at 10-13 C