Introducing Gotsa Family Winery
The Georgian kings used to have their favourite wines vinified in the ancient winemaking region of Kiketi in Georgia. So it is fitting that we are celebrating wines made from the Gotsa Family Winery, which is located just 30 minutes from Tbilisi.
The Gotsadze family have been making natural wine for 4 generations. Originally from Tskhratskharo in western Georgia, they moved to the outskirts of Tbilisi at the beginning of the 20th century. The reason for this move was the vineyards being appropriated by the Soviet regime. Despite this move, they have continued with the traditional natural winemaking methods using qvevri outside of Tbilisi. Our wine school has already produced a wine lesson on qvevri, have a look if you want to learn more.
This artisan winery is located between the villages of Marabda and Asureti, 550 metres above sea level and is located in Georgia’s Algeti National Park. Since 2015 they have planted around 25,000 vines growing 15 different native Georgian grape varieties and maturing all the wines in a total of 40 qvevri that is buried in the ground.
Part of Georgia’s wine making charm and allure is the use of qvevri. There are 2 reasons for this, the first is to continue with the country’s tradition, the second is probably due to the fact that to buy stainless steel tanks is expensive as they have to be imported. With qvevri being buried into the ground, it helps with maintaining a relatively stable temperature. But what if you want to do something different?
Beka Gotsadze is at the forefront of Georgian natural winemaking
Beka Gotsadze was an architect before becoming a full time winemaker, and he has managed to solve this issue. Having previously created heating and cooling systems in the past, Beka has created an almost one of a kind system that can pump hot or cold water through pipes in the ground that is around the qvevri. It’s also exceptionally clever as to regulate water levels he uses the water from his swimming pool, which can continually be reused.
This fusion of modern thinking and technology within the traditional winemaking environment is testament to the great wines that are made at Gotsa. So with smart, one of a kind natural winemaking, let’s have a look at some of the natural wines that the Gotsa Winery have to offer.
Gotsa Family Winery Wines
Tavkveri
With traditional methods the Gotsa family winery makes a wine from the Tavkveri grape. One of over 500 native grapes from Georgia. The Gotsa Tavkveri is an incredibly enticing wine from the moment you see the bottle. Despite the Tavkveri grape having a dark skin, the grape itself makes an alluring lighter colour of red wine. Imagine going to the supermarket and finding a bottle of rose wine in the red section. This is what to expect from its vivid ruby red colour.
Looking at the medium bodied wine itself, it is made following the strict Demeter and European organic standards. However only a few of their vintages have been officially certified. The wine is vinified naturally in the traditional qvevri clay pots, unfiltered, unfined and made with no sulphites or additives. They allow the wine to ferment spontaneously in the qvevri without any intervention, skin contact or temperature control. It results in a very natural wine with a very low sulphite level of only 27mg/l.
This hardy grape makes dry wines and is particularly juicy. It offers some earthy and spice tones on the nose. The flavours are delicate and crisp with a delicious bouquet of ripe red fruits like strawberries, raspberries and cherries. There is a minerality to this light-bodied wine that helps to ingeniously balance the red fruit flavours with an interesting hint of black pepper on the finish.
The great thing about this wine is its versatility. It really is best slightly chilled at around 14-15 degrees and can be enjoyed with food or entirely on its own. Whilst it can be delicate and enjoyed with lighter green salads and appetisers like hummus, it is also able to hold its own with larger bolder and more flavourful dishes such as roasted vegetables bowl or pasta caponata!
Saperavi
A native grape to the Kakheti region of Georgia, Saperavi has a long history in this region. It is a hardy grape that is capable of withstanding moderate temperature extremes and higher altitudes. As the most commonly planted vine in the country it has been one of the most important varieties to Georgia’s wine economy.
Gotsa’s Saperavi is essentially everything that you could want and expect from a natural wine, whilst exceeding your expectations overall. Right from the moment that you open up the bottle and stare deep into its rich and enticing red colour. Being natural and following with the vineyards traditions, the wine is not filtered or fined. So it is obviously mildly cloudy, but this is just the start of the wine’s charm.
This delectable and intense dry red wine is made with minimal intervention, no additions and has fermented spontaneously. It is matured in a combination of qvevri and old oak barrels which helps to add to the wines appeal as this isn’t a commonly used practice in Georgia.
Diving into this bottle is a pleasure with its deep bouquet of black fruits beyond its usual natural particulars. Despite this wine’s alluring and rich characteristics, another part of this wine’s charm is the fact that this wine has a very unexpected medium body. The tannins in this Saperavi are pleasant and smooth with very distinguished flavours of wild berries that linger on its finish.
With the wine’s well articulated qualities, it really is not able to disappoint any discerning natural wine lover. However if you love food and natural wine then this wine is something you need to try. Simple lentil dishes or tomato based pastas with capers really help give this wine an extra layer of something. But my personal favourite way to enjoy this wine is with ratatouille!
Chinuri
There are a few wines that natural wine lovers will try that undoubtedly leave them pleasantly confused. This wine is one of these, as it’s not easy to understand how such a delicious array of aromas, flavours, minerals and tannins can come from such an elegant wine.
After 8 months of maturation in qvevri with skin contact, but without stems, this Georgian amber wine shines and glimmers with a lighter orange shade than you would expect. However this lack of an orange tint doesn’t mean it lacks anywhere else.
Enjoying this fruity and aromatic wine is simple. Simple dishes like hummus or traditional Georgian dishes like phkali make its flavours and aromas of acacia honey, pineapple and bitter almonds gracefully dance on the nose and the palate. However simply enjoying this dry natural wine on its own whilst watching the world go by is equally as pleasurable as the wine continues to develop in the glass with herbaceous, ripened and balanced tones.
The Chinuri grape gets its name from the word chinebuli, which literally translates from Georgian language as ‘excellent’. Is there really a better way to offer praise to this wine?
Try these delicious wines by Gotsa at Living Vino natural wine bar in Tbilisi
Whilst this is just a review and our thoughts of just a few of the many wines that are available from this family winery, there are many more that you can try. You can visit them and try the wines along with their grape ale beer, ‘second fruit’ apple cider and chacha. You will be entertained by Beka and his delightful family whilst enjoying a delicious traditional feast.
If you ever get the chance to visit, it is a trip not to be missed.
As we love natural wine, Gotsa is a superstar example of what we mean by natural wine. However if you are not fortunate enough to be able to visit the winery itself, we have a sizable range from the Gotsa Family range for you to try too. Check out our up-to-date natural wine list here.
