Orgo 'Dila-o' Rkatsiteli-Mtsvane Kakheti 2022

Young Georgian winemaker Temur Dakishvili grew up in the family of winemaking legend Gogi Dakishvili, the founding force behind several iconic Georgian wine producers and leader of the qvervi (large clay jars buried in the ground) renaissance in winemaking. Together at Orgo, they combine youthful energy with decades of experience to continue to elevate Georgian wine traditions. Orgo sources grapes from several villages in Kakheti, including the Kurdgelauri and Tsinandali villages in Telavi, along the right bank of the Alazani river. All of the vineyards are 50-80 years old, a rarity in Georgia, as most older vines were ripped up and replanted to increase production during Soviet times. Dila-o (pronounced “dee-la-oh”) is a 50/50 blend of rkatsiteli and mtsvane grapes fermented with ambient yeasts in qvevri and bottled without filtration. This amber or “orange” wine is made in a lighter style with 1 month of skin contact, making it a perfect introduction or “gateway” to orange wine. Notes of melon and cantaloupe are backed by bright acidity and gently present tannins on the finish. Organically grown, low-intervention/natural wine, skin-fermented.