The Classic Rkatsiteli

Orgo is a small artisan winery which is located in the east Georgian wine region of Kakheti. It is a family project made up of famed winemaker Giorgi Dakishvili (of Schuchmann and Teliani Valley) with his son Temur. The line of wines are made from old vines with at least fifty years of age, and in the cellar, they adhere to Georgian tradition, making wine in the traditional Kakhetian way, in qvevri. 
I have always thought that the Orgo Rkatsitelli (of any year, really) is a great introductory wine for people who are new to this style of wine. Long skin contact in qvevri produces wines that aren’t so common and usual to the average wine drinker, and in some cases they are so complex and funky they can be TOO extreme for some. Not so with the Orgo line of wines. Gogi is a modern winemaker and adheres to strict hygienic codes which produce very clean, fun, easy to drink and complex wines. The cellar is relatively new and the average time for maceration is 14-18 days followed by 6 months maturation in qvevri. 
The 2014 Rkatsiteli received 90 points from Wine & Spirits. I don’t work with a point system, but I do believe the numbers speak greatly of the high quality of the wine. During my last visit to the Orgo wine cellar, on a wine tour we organised, we tasted a range of wines, including a Classic Method Saperavi. But it was the 2013 Rkatsiteli that captured my imagination. In general, the 2013 harvest produced excellent wine throughout Georgia. 

Orgo 2013 Rkatsiteli

Brightly hued yellow amber color. Rich aromas of stone fruit, ripe green apples, hazelnut, tuberoses, dried lilies, sweet tea and sweet spices such as ginger. Taste is fresh, with soft tannins (due to skin contact), dried apricot and ginger, long, fruit forward finish with hints of MLF flavours. Very good now, but I believe it will evolve into a beautiful, ethereal wine in 5-10 years. This pairs well with dishes that contain nuts, including a traditional Genovese pesto. 

Thank you so much for the the lovely wine tour at Orgo. If you are interested in wines tours in Kakheti, please contact us at Taste Georgia. We have a variety of tours from Tbilisi that include this cellar. If you are interested in this wine in the USA or the U.K. check out these importers for more information. 

Importers in the United States:

Blue Danube

Georgian Wine House 

Importer in the U.K. 

Clark Foyster