Vartsikhe Marani Aladasturi Red 2018

Aladasturi is a dark-skinned indigenous grape from western Georgia, historically widespread across Guria and Imereti before phylloxera reduced its plantings. It produces pale ruby, light-bodied red wines known for low alcohol, delicate tannins, and flavors of red cherry, cranberry, and earth. Vartsikhe Marani grows it in the Baghdati district of Imereti, a sub-zone noted for its limestone soils and cool, humid conditions that favor low-alcohol, high-acid wines.

The wine is made entirely in qvevri, the traditional buried clay vessel used in Georgia for thousands of years. Grapes are fermented with native yeast and skin contact, then the qvevri is sealed and buried through winter. When outdoor temperatures drop, fermentation stops naturally; the wine is then transferred to a second qvevri for further aging before being bottled unfiltered and without fining. No additives are used at any stage.

The result is a genuinely light red: pale, silky, and precise. The 2018 vintage scored 87/100 on Wine-Searcher. Each bottle is individually numbered and inspected by the winemaker before release, in keeping with the winery's small-production ethos.