Pheasant's Tears Vardisperi Rkatsiteli 2020

This 2020 Rkatsiteli from Pheasant’s Tears is a pure expression of Georgia’s ancient qvevri tradition, drawn from old vines rooted in the Vardisubani village of Kakheti. Fermented and aged in clay vessels buried underground, the wine undergoes extended skin contact—a method unchanged for millennia. The clay soils of the Alazani Valley, combined with high diurnal shifts, yield fruit of both ripeness and tension, ideal for this deeply traditional, low-intervention style.

Amber-hued and unapologetically earthy, the wine opens with aromas of dried apricot, quince paste, walnut skin, and wild herbs, supported by tannic structure and salty minerality. The palate is textured, savoury, and persistent, with dried citrus peel, rooibos, and subtle oxidative tones. Unfiltered, unfined, and fermenting with native yeasts, it’s both elemental and cerebral—a vivid conduit to the region’s 8,000-year-old winemaking heritage.