Why it matters
The producer
Levan and Giorgi Chychynadze operate Tiko Estate with Levan's wife Maria. The small winery makes wines from native Georgian grape varieties in Kakheti and Kartli. White, red and orange styles all appear in the range.
Levan and Giorgi Chychynadze trained at a wine institute in Crimea, Ukraine. Levan completed vintages in Australia, France and America, while Giorgi worked a vintage in Burgundy, France. The team brings over 40 years of wine industry experience, 50 vintages across four continents and ten countries. At Tiko Estate, that international background is applied to native Georgian grapes and traditional qvevri fermentation.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The estate is based in Shilda village in Kakheti, Eastern Georgia, about two hours from Tbilisi. Kakheti's warm days and cool nights shape bold, aromatic wines. The estate also works in Kartli, where limestone rich soils give Shavkapito a fresh, delicate character.
The Alazani River valley has a continental climate and iron rich soils. Climate affects ripening speed, while soil affects water supply and root growth, which in turn influence fruit maturity and acidity at harvest.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Qvevri are traditional clay pots used for fermentation, and Tiko Estate uses them in its wines. Orange Kisi is fermented and aged on its skins in qvevri for up to six months. Skin contact is the technique behind orange wine: the grapes ferment with their skins, so colour and tannin pass into the wine.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range spans white, red and orange wines. Mtsvane is the white wine, Saperavi Solo the dry red, and Orange Kisi the orange wine made with skin contact. The broader list includes Kisi, Khikhvi, Rkatsiteli and Saperavi from Kakheti, as well as Shavkapito from Kartli.
Mtsvane opens with perfumed aromas of white flowers, apricot skin and lemon blossom. Lemon curd and orchard fruit fill the palate, with white pepper over a distinct mineral backbone. Saperavi Solo carries ripe black cherries, blackcurrants and plums, with grippy tannins and bright acidity. Orange Kisi brings the textured profile associated with extended skin contact, with colour and skin derived tannin in the wine.