Churi Chinebuli

Krakhuna by Churi Chinebuli

Release Price

Drink Window

13%

ABV

3.2

pH

5.2

TA

3.6

RS

Nose

The nose has a medium+ intensity with aromas of baked apple, apple juice concentrate, juicy pear, ripe peach, cooked pineapple, and golden raisins. There is a slight butterscotch or buttered rum aroma indicating some malolactic fermentation along with peanut shells and wet stones aromas. There is an obvious ‘minerality’ on the nose that balances the ripe fruit aromas.

Palate

On the palate, the wine is dry with a bit of acidity. Both the intensity and body are medium+. In addition to the list of aromas, there is more crispy apple and lemon oil flavour on the palate. The stony minerality hits the back of the palate right away and lingers onto a medium finish.

Growing Conditions

Imereti is, after Kakheti, Georgia’s second-largest wine producing region. Its climate is very favourable for viticulture, primarily thanks to the warmth and humidity of the Black Sea to the west and the shelter afforded by the Greater and Lesser Caucasus mountains to the north and south. In addition, most of Imereti (70%) is mountainous, giving the region a rich and diverse group of unique terroirs. Sviri microzone is located in Imereti Region, Zestaphoni municipality, on the left bank of the river Kvirila. Here, the weather from May to October is mostly sunny and dry. Middle humid subtropical climate with mild winter and hot summer. Soil types of Alvian, clay and sand-clay soils, mainly with southern exposition. The large accumulation of organic and mineral substances helps to produce high quality wines. Krakhuna performs best features in this microzone.

Harvest

Krakhuna has the high sugar content compared to other Imeretian grape varieties. However, it is a less productive and difficult to harvest variety. Sviri microzone farmers have quite small vineyards, so it is relatively easy to carefully select the best grapes from them to make this wine. Picking was done by hand in the evening, grapes were then transported with special containers owned by the company and crushed in the early morning. The grapes were crushed on September 15.

Bottling

The wine was bottled in early summer. Diam corks are used on 5,500 bottles in total. The wine is stored and aged in the cellar where the temperature is 12-16 degrees and the humidity is 50-70%.

Winemaking

Western Georgia is home to around 100 indigenous varieties of grape from which high-quality red and white wines are produced. The traditional Imeretian (western) method of wine-making is slightly different from the more well-known Kakhetian (eastern) one. Although both rely upon underground clay amphorae, the Imeretian method also calls for the addition of small amounts of pomace to the grape juice during fermentation. The grapes were crushed late at night in a stainless steel tank and it was made in the classic way of making white wine, using cultural yeast.