2022 Okros Wines Rkatsiteli Zvari

Okros Wines, based in the heart of Kakheti, has built a reputation as one of Georgia’s true champions of natural winemaking. All of their vineyards are farmed organically, and the wines are made with nothing added, nothing taken away – just grapes, qvevri, and time. The Zvari bottling comes from old Rkatsiteli vines, a grape that has been cultivated in Georgia for thousands of years and remains central to its winemaking story.

The 2022 release was fermented and aged in buried clay qvevri for six months on skins, giving the wine its amber hue and a textured, gently tannic feel. There’s plenty of stone fruit and dried citrus in the glass, layered with herbs, spice and that savoury, earthy edge that marks it as classic Kakhetian amber. It’s structured but not heavy, with the freshness to keep you coming back for another sip.

As with all Okros wines, quantities are tiny and each vintage reflects the conditions of the year. In 2022, the balance of fruit and structure is particularly compelling, making this a benchmark example of what natural Georgian wine can be.

95 points
"Brilliant orange wine. Next level."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)