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The
wines of Pheasant's Tears, Kakheti, Georgia
Some unusual but lovely qvevri wines from Georgia
Website: www.pheasantstears.com
John Wurdeman
Georgian winery Pheasant’s tears was
founded in 2007 by John Wurdeman and Gela Patalishvili.
John is an American painter who first
came to Georgia in 1996, and the following year bought a house in
Sighnaghi. In 1998 he relocated to Georgia full time.
Gela is a winegrower whose family’s
connection with wine goes back eight generations. The two met in
2005 when John was painting in a vineyard, and decided to work
together.
All wines are fermented in qvevri,
traditional clay amphorae, which are lined with beeswax and sunk
into the ground. Natural yeast fermentations are employed.
Slightly different techniques are used to
make each of the wines. Some have moderate skin contact, others have
minimal (3 weeks to 6 months). Stems are included. It’s all
decided by taste. John notes that qvevri wines seem to age faster
than conventional wines.
The name ‘pheasant’s tears’ refers
to a Georgian story in which only the very best wines are good
enough to make a pheasant cry. Not sure what they are doing giving
wine to pheasants…
THE
WINES
Pheasant’s Tears Chnuri 2011 Kakheti,
Georgia
The lightest, crispest white wine in the line up. Apple and herb
nose. Nice fresh, appley, herby palate with a bit of grip and nice
freshness. 90/100
Pheasant’s Tears Kisi 2011 Kakheti,
Georgia
A full-coloured amber skin contact white. Aromatic with a lovely
palate showing herbs and pear with some tannic grip. Fresh and
pretty. 92/100
Pheasant’s Tears Rkatsiteli 2011
Kakheti, Georgia
An amber skin contact wine. Beautiful perfume: spice, peach and
pear notes. The palate is grippy and firm with lovely elegant peach
and pear fruit. Grippy and firm. 93/100
Pheasant’s Tears Rkatsiteli 2010
Kakheti, Georgia
Spicy and exotic on the nose with warm peachy notes. On the
palate there’s apricot, spice, dried herbs and some grippiness.
Lovely wine. 94/100
Pheasant’s Tears Rkatsiteli 2008
Kakheti, Georgia
Warm, ripe, spicy and bold on the nose, with apricot and peach.
The palate is grippy, spicy and rounded. Just fabulous. 94/100
Pheasant’s Tears Tsolakauri 2011
Kakheti, Georgia
Interesting herb and wax nose. The palate is appley and tangy
with some bitterness, notes of tea and a firm finish. 88/100
Pheasant’s Tears Mtsvane 2011
Kakheti, Georgia
A skin contact white wine. Bold, smooth, sweetly fruited and
grippy. Some tea and dried herb notes, as well as good acidity.
92/100
Pheasant’s Tears Tavkvevri 2011
Kakheti, Georgia
A red wine. Vivid, juicy and berryish with fresh, vivid fruit.
Lovely youthful cherry and berry fruit on the palate with some
grippy tannin. 92/100
Pheasant’s Tears Saperavi 2009
Kakheti, Georgia
A teinturier (red-fleshed) variety. Powerful, intense and
structured. Beginning to open out a bit with good acid and vivid
fruit. 92/100
Pheasant’s Tears Saperavi 2011
Kakheti, Georgia
Dense, intense and tannic with immensely powerful, vivid black
fruits. 92/100
Pheasant’s Tears Saperavi 2010
Kakheti, Georgia
This was drying on the vine in August, and the result is a wine
with powerful amarone-like flavours. Spicy, dense and lively with
high acidity. Fabulous. 93/100
Pheasant’s Tears Shavkapito 2011
Kakheti, Georgia
A red wine. Fruity, vivid and youthful with joyful red fruits
and grippy tannins. 91/100
Pheasant’s Tears Shavkapito 2010
Kakheti, Georgia
Grippy, tannic and dense with some earth and spice and lots of
structure. 90/100
UK agent: Les Caves de Pyrene
Wines
tasted 05/12
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
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