Georgian natural wines (2) Manavi Wines
Manavi Wines
Website: https://www.manaviwines.ge/
Manavi is the project of Giorgi Aivazyan.
These wines come from the village of Manavi, a small microzone in the eastern part of Kakheti, at an altitude of 750 m. The whole village has 50 hectares of vines, and he has 7 hectares spread over many different plots. He doesn’t buy any grapes, and makes all his wines in qvevri.
Giorgi comes from a background in coffee, and began making wine in 2021.He became interested in natural wine and runs the Givino wine bar in Tblisi.
THE WINES
Manavi Wines Mtsvane Pet Nat 2023 Georgia
Fruity and bright with nice acidity, and pear and apple fruit. There’s some melon richness. Nice fruit here and good weight. 90/100
Manavi Wines Saperavi Pet Nat 2023 Georgia
Pale pink. Nice fruity style with good acidity and a hint of sweetness. Lots of apple and cherry fruit. Attractive. 90/100
Manavi Wines Rkatsiteli 2022 Georgia
Direct pressed into qvevri. Bright with lovely acidity. Apple, lemon and pear fruit with a cheesy, leesy edge. Has nice weight and a hint of sourness on the finish. 92/100
Manavi Wines Mtsvane 2022 Georgia
This was direct pressed to qvevri and it’s Giorgi’s favourite variety. Chalky, stony, cheesy and tangy with nice personality. Lovely weight in the mouth with freshness and detail. 93/100
Manavi Wines Mtsvane 2021 Georgia
This was harvested late because the cellar wasn’t ready, and then it rained for three weeks. Debut vintage. Direct pressed to qvevri. Poached pear, peach and lemons. Tangy and expressive with lovely weight in the mouth. A rich, complex wine. 94/100
Manavi Wines Rkatsiteli Skins 2022 Georgia
Destemmed and then fermented for a month on skins. Gold/bronze colour with high acidity, appley structure and real intensity. There’s a hint of raisin here, with lots of spice. Firm and powerful. 94/100
Manavi Wines Rkatsiteli Mtsvane 2021 Georgia
Equal parts blend, 6 months on skins in qvevri. Gold/orange colour. Lightly aromatic, but powerful and structured with intense peach, apricot and lemon notes, as well as good acidity. Grippy and fine with nice structure. 94/100
Manavi Wines Saperavi 2021 Georgia
Two weeks on skins. Bright and lively with nice intensity. Structured with lovely grip and fresh, pure red fruits. Good tannin and acidity, but not heavy. 93/100
