10/1/2022 - forceberry wrote:

A blend of organically farmed (I can't believe I'm doing this...) Achkikizhi, Adanasuri, Adreuli Tetri, Akhmetis Shavi, Akhmetis Tsiteli, Aladasturi, Alexandrouli, Arabeuli Shavi, Argvetuli Sapere, Batomura, Bazaleturi Tsolikauri, Beglaris Vazi, Berbesho, Budeshuri Tsiteli, Buera, Buza, Buza Kartli, Chardonnay, Chinuri, Chitiskvertshkha, Chitistvala Bodburi, Chitistvala Kakhuri, Chitistvala Tetri, Chitistvala Tsiteli, Chkhaveri, Chrogha, Danakharuli, Didshavi, Dondghlabi, Dzaghliarchama, Dzelshavi, Dzirageuli, Gabasha, Ghrubela kakhuri, Ghvins Tetri, Godatuuri, Gomis Tetri, Gorula, Goruli Aladasturi, Grdzelmtevana, Ikaltos Tsiteli, Ingilouri, Institutis Grdzelmtevana, Jineshi, Jvari, Kakhis Tetri, Kakhuri Mtsvane, Kakhuri Mtsvivani, Kakhuri Tetri, Kamuri Tetri, Kamuri Tetri, Kartlis Tita, Kartula, Khargrdzeli Kviteli, Khikhvi, Khikhvi Rachuli, Kishuri, Krakhuna, Kundza, Kurkena, Kurkeni, Kustauri Saghvine, Labiladzis Tetri, Lakoiazhgi, Livanuri Tetri, Loladzis Khikhvi, Maghkari Mskhviltvala, Maghlaris Trtvina, Matchkvaturi, Meskhuri Mtsvane, Mgaloloblishvili, Mkhargrzeli, Mtchvartala, Mtskhvilamartsvala Tetri, Mtsvane Kviteli, Mujuretuli, Nakutvneuli, Nakutvnuli, Natskhara, Otskhanuri Sapere, Qvelouri, Rachuli Shavi, Rkatsiteli, Rkatsiteli Mtsvane, Rko Shavi, Sachkheris Dzelshavi, Sadzire, Sakartvelo, Sapena, Saperavi, Saperavi Atenuri, Saperavi Budeshurisebri, Saperavi Kartlis, Seura, Shavkapito, Shavtita, Shavtkhila, Shemodghmis Shavi, Simonaseuli, Sirajouli Shavi, Sirgula, Steluri, Supris Gorula, Tavkveri, Tchkapa, Tchrogha, Tchrogha Akhuri, Tchumuta, Tchvitiluri, Tevan Didi, Tkbili Kurdzini, Trivrakhani, Trvrimala, Tsiska, Tsitelauri, Tsiv Chkhavera, Tskhenis Dzudzu, Tskhvedianis Tetri, Tskobila, Tsnoris Tetri, Tsolikouri, Tsulukidzis Tetra, Ubakluri, Vardispera, Vardzia, Zakatalis Tetri, Zakatalis Tsiteli - ie. a total of 127 varieties (the back label mentioned 128 varieties, but also had Danakharuli listed twice) from Pheasant's Tears' library vineyard - all harvested at one go as a field blend. The wine is fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins in earthenware kvevris. Vinified without any SO2, bottled unfined and unfiltered. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Fully opaque blackish-red color. Oh ye lord the nose if bretty! There's a ton of stable floor and horse's behind in the nose, followed by less funky aromas of sous-bois, brambly raspberries, some crunchy cranberry tones, a little bit of old leather, light phenolic notes of lambic beer, a hint of earth and a touch of something inky. The overall impression is very animale, to say the least. The wine feels dense, dry and robust on the palate with enormously funky flavors of tart lingonberries, stable floor and sweaty leather saddle, some crunchy cranberries, a little bit of spicy phenolic bitterness, light astringent notes of chokeberries, a hint of burnt hair and a touch of earth. The overall feel is muscular, tart and crunchy with its noticeably high acidity and assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is dry, tannic and grippy with intense, lengthy flavors of crunchy cranberries and tart lingonberries, some barnyardy notes of brett, a little bit of sweaty leather saddle, light burnt hair tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of chokeberry.

I'm not sure if this was the funkiest wine I've ever tasted, but possibly the brettiest. It was quite interesting to see that the wine exhibited all kinds of qualities in which Brettanomyces can express itself, but very little to no other funky qualities like VA, reduction, mousiness, geosmin or anything like that. This was just pure brett. And a lot of structure. I mean, really, a lot. The nose itself was quite jarring with the overbearing, funky notes of animale, but even more striking was how enormously structured the wine was on the palate - while being ridiculously funky at the same time. It's actually quite funny to drink a wine made from +100 grape varieties, because you couldn't find any varietal qualities even if the wine was clean as a whistle, but as a ridiculously bretty wine you wouldn't taste any varietal qualities even if the wine was made from only one single grape variety. This is sort of a Georgian academic joke, but at the same time serious enough that you just don't dismiss the wine immediately as a joke. This is definitely a tough piece to chew even for a person quite familiar with both natural wines and Georgian kvevri wines, but even then, this wine does have its own charm. Not really a wine I'd recommend to any other people than those who look for curiosities and experiences, but for those, this is great value at just 19,90€.