The « European » face of Georgian white. Tsinandali is a Kakhetian appellation and a style born in 1835 at the estate of the poet-prince Alexander Chavchavadze, who brought bottle-ageing and Western cellar craft to Georgia: a dry blend of Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane, vinified in the clean, unmacerated way rather than amber in qvevri. Fresh, upright and floral, it is the counterpoint to Kakheti's ancient skin-fermented tradition.
Dry white
Tsinandali
Robe — Pale straw — a clean, unmacerated white
- pear
- white peach
- blossom
- citrus
- Palate
- Dry, fresh and upright — Rkatsiteli's frame lifted by Mtsvane's perfume
- Ageing
- 3–10 years
- Serving
- 10–12 °C
The blend
A typical modern composition
85%
15%
- Rkatsiteli85%
- Mtsvane15%
Where it is made
Producers
A few estates working in this style today — a sample, not a ranking
- Shumi
- Tsinandali Estate
- Telavi Wine Cellar