Pheasant's Tears Kisi 2022

Although Georgian wines may not be the most renowned, Georgia stands as one of the oldest wine-producing countries, boasting a viticultural tradition that spans thousands of years. Its winemaking is marked by unique and distinctive practices, passed down through generations. With a vast array of indigenous grape varieties, many of which are exclusive to the region, and time-honored winemaking methods, the result is wines with exceptional flavors and aromas that contribute to their esteemed reputation. Within this enviable viticultural heritage, recognized and cherished by oenophiles globally, we find Pheasant’s Tears, a winery nestled in Sighnaghi, at the eastern edge of the country, established in 2005 by John Wurdeman and Gela Patalishvili with the aim of crafting wines in accordance with ancient traditions.

As a testament to their dedication, they present Pheasant's Tears Kisi, an orange wine made from the native Kisi grape, cultivated in alluvial soils interspersed with sandstone and quartz, and tended using traditional, manual, ancestral techniques without the use of chemicals. In the winery, only the finest grapes are selected and 90% destemmed. They then undergo a six-month maceration with their skins, imparting a beautiful amber hue. The wine is vinified using one of Georgia's most celebrated methods, aging in qvevri, large clay amphorae coated with beeswax and buried underground. Here, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts begins, and the wine ages for nine months. Finally, it is bottled unclarified, unfiltered, and with a mere 2 mg of sulfites.

The result is Pheasant's Tears Kisi, an original, singular, and authentic wine from Kakheti, which eloquently speaks of one of the world's most historically significant wine regions. It offers a splendid opportunity to delve into and appreciate the rich viticultural history of Georgia.