Iago Bitarishvili is Georgia's great champion of the Chinuri grape - the ancient white variety native to the Kartli region that most of the wine world still hasn't found. From the vineyards of Chardakhi village, he makes exactly two wines (his wife also makes one). This is one of the two he makes
How does Iago's Wine Chinuri 2024 taste?
Whilst the bottle states 7 months on skins, this wine is more of a clear white in colour and familiarity.
This wine has super cool nose which is unique and complex, with pops of cantelope melon, bonfire smoke, kiwi, green banana and iron alongside subtle herbal and mineral notes.
On the palate: lively and structured, with the characteristic bright acidity of the Chinuri grape, soft tannins, and a long, clean mineral finish as well as more smoke and bursts of quince.
How is Iago's Chinuri made?
The grapes go in whole, skins, stems and seeds, and ferment with wild yeasts in a buried qvevri. Seven months of maceration on the full skins.. but we are very surprised by this as very much a white wine. So we asked Iago, and he told us Chinuri tends to never have a deep amber colour like other Kakheti varitals, but this 2024 vintage was indeed much lighter than usual
What is Chinuri?
Chinuri is an ancient indigenous white grape from the Kartli region of Georgia, rare even within the country, and largely unknown outside it. Iago Bitarishvili is one of the few growers farming it with real seriousness. The name means 'true' or 'genuine' in Georgian. Try it and you'll understand why.
