Pheasant`s Tears, Rkatsiteli Bodbiskhevi, 2023

Made in Georgia using ancient qvevri winemaking techniques, the wine is fermented with indigenous yeast and aged underground in clay amphorae before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Far removed from classically styled whites, this is a wine to approach with curiosity and an open mind.

There’s a deeper golden hue in the glass, with prickly pear, zingy citrus, tea leaf spice and a gently savoury, textured character that’s quite difficult to neatly describe — and that’s part of the appeal. Wines like this are less about ticking tasting note boxes and more about the experience of discovering something completely individual for yourself.