Fresh, light for a Georgian wine—barrel-aged, not qvevri. Drinks slightly heavier than a light Pinot Noir or a Beaujolais (Gamay). Nicely sophisticated rather than the somewhat rustic efforts you can expect from Georgia. Represents the country’s winemakers expanding their range of styles from the region that started humankind on the wine road 8,000 years ago. $19-34 (wide price ranges are not unusual for somewhat rare wines from emerging—in Georgia’s case, reemerging—wine regions).
Shavkapito is Château Mukhrani’s flagship grape variety; this is their introductory offering in that tier. They also make a Reserve Royale version that sells in the $50-plus range. Château Mukhrani is a historic estate founded in Georgia’s Kartli region in 1878 by Prince Ivane Mukhranbatoni. It was relaunched in 2002 as part of Georgia’s wine revival. The winery organically farms some 250 acres at elevations from 1,700 to 2,000 feet.
Kartli is a historic region in central-eastern Georgia traversed by the Mtkvari River, where Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, is located. Kartli played a key role in the ethnic and political consolidation of Georgians in the Middle Ages.
Shavkapito (“black cane” in Georgian) is one of Kartli’s oldest indigenous red grapes. It recently flirted with extinction, with plantings down to about 25 acres in Georgia. Today, it enjoys a revival, along with Georgia’s wine industry in general. It is extremely sensitive to terroir. Grapes grown on valley floors produce fuller, richer wines. Grapes grown on mountain slopes—as this was—produce lighter, more aromatic wines.
Patrick Honnef is the winemaker, viticulturist, and CEO at Château Mukhrani. Grapes come exclusively from organic vineyards. Fermentation uses native yeasts. The winery uses minimal technological intervention, though it is a modern facility. This wine reflects modern techniques using stainless steel and oak barrels, but the winery also produces wine using traditional qvevris.
Château Mukhrani Shavkapito, Grand Vin de Géorgie 2020: Medium-deep garnet color; raspberry, black cherry, tart cherry, pomegranate, plum, cranberry, tea, leather, warm spice on the nose and palate.
Dry (1.9 g/L RS); moderate, integrated tannins complemented by good acidity (3.8 pH; 5 g/L TA). Medium body. Old World-style finesse with restrained oak to allow the fruit purity to play the leading role. Nicely extended finish with refreshing acidity. Succeeds as a well-made wine in the style you are used to. It is not a walk on the wild side of wine made with grapes you’ve never heard of, finished in an earthenware jug buried in the ground (although those can be really nice wines, BTW). 13% ABV
Pairing—Roast lamb with potatoes, chanakhi (a clay-pot lamb and eggplant Georgian dish), lighter beef, veal, venison. Mushroom risotto, ragù; cured meats. Duck, roast chicken. Cheese—Mature, hard cheeses; Gruyère, Comté, moderately aged Gouda and Manchego, aged Fontina.
Château Mukhrani Shavkapito website
