Mtsvane Orange 2018

John Okro’s tiny natural winery and adjacent restaurant are perched atop the picturesque town of Signangi, in Eastern Georgia’s Kakheti region, overlooking the vertiginous peaks of the Caucasus mountain range. John’s natural farming and winemaking heritage stretch back generations; wine (amber wine) has always been in his blood, calling to him. He answered the call in 2004 when he started to make his first natural wines, then bottled his first official vintage in 2009.

The family farms, organically and beyond, about 7 hectares spread over different parcels in the Alazani valley, mostly comprised of local varieties such as Tsolikouri, Tsitska, Tavkaveri, Kisi, Kakhetian Mtsvane, Rkatsiteli, Saperavi, and Budeshuri Saperavi. John uses only natural fermentation and the wines see long periods of skin contact, as well as aging, in qvevri before being bottled with no fining, filtration, or added SO2. Patiently waiting often long years before releasing the wines, John is able to present us with veritable masterpieces of primal power, depth, and visceral passion.