SHOTA LAGAZIDZE, LAGAZI VINEYARDS, Kakheti
Organic, natural
Shota’s family originates from the Tusheti region, a remote, difficult to access mountain range with peaks at 4,492m. The single, narrow road climbing up to Tusheti from the Kakheti plain is one of the most dramatic (and truly scary) anywhere in the World.
Shota established his cellar in his family home and started making wine in 2013, his style is traditional, both his Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane see 6 months on skins and a whole year in qvevri. This means lots of structure and complexity, but there is also a gentleness and elegance behind the seemingly thundrous first impression. Shota is just 26 years old, but he cares deeply about the Georgian landscape, traditions and especially the agricultural side of things. He is a firm believer in supporting the young farmers of the country, he is in the process of reviving a very old and rare grape variety.
As a local magazine recently pointed out: ‘drinking the wines from this very young winemaker will likely transport you thousands of years back to the very origin of winemaking as we know it.’