Casreli Khikhvi 2021
Casreli is a small wine farm from Georgia. A project of five befriended doctors under the inspiring leadership of Misha Dolidze. They know each other from their medical studies in Tbilisi. They make red and orange natural wines in qvevri. Their dedication and professionalism earned them prizes in the qvevri wine competitions in Tbilisi from the very first vintage, and not much later they achieved international success when their wine from the Chitistvala grape was chosen by the British wine magazine Decanter among the best orange wines in the world.
| Country | Georgia |
| Region | Kakheti |
| Protected Designation of Origin | Geen |
| Wine maker | Casreli Wines |
| Grape varieties | 100% Khikhvi |
| Terroir | The grapes are picked from young vines in the Shaloant Akhoebi vineyard. It is located 450m above sea level with a stony bottom of clay and loamy soil. The vineyards are west facing with sun all day, on the right bank of the Alazani Valley. |
| Harvest method | Grapes are selected and picked manually. |
| Vineyard treatment | This is a natural wine made from organically treated vineyards. |
| Vinification | The grapes are destemmed and slightly bruised and put in the qvevri. After spontaneous fermentation on wild yeasts, the wine matures for another eight months with the skins and seeds in the qvevri. The wine is not clarified or filtered. Filtration happens automatically in the qvevri. |
| Impression | Clear and almost golden colour. Pure and slightly earthy. Kumquats and hazelnuts, marmalade and dried apricots. Drying tannins. |
| Did you know? | The Khikvi grows only in Georgia, mainly in the western province of Khakheti. It is an ancient grape that was probably already planted here in the Middle Ages. Wine has been made from it for so long. Although you rarely see them, because the Khikhvi is also relatively scarce in Georgia. |