Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars

Rkatsiteli is a grape that you don't hear much about, but it's been around for a long time. It's an ancient vinifera grape dating back over 5000 years to Georgia. No, not the state, the republic that was once part of the Soviet Union. It's still extremely popular in Georgia and other former Soviet nations. In the United States, plantings are limited and found almost exclusively in the eastern US, including the cool-to-cold Finger Lakes region.

After tasting this bottle, I'd be shocked if we don't see a lot more if it in America's cooler regions.

This wine is an extremely pale yellow in the glass with a faint green tint. The nose is almost overwhelming in its aromatics. Sweet, minty herbs mingle with intense peach, floral and mango aromas.

The palate reveals a fair amount of residual sugar, but extremely fresh, tongue-tingling acidity brings near-perfect balance. There is a wide array of fruit here – peach, mango, strawberries, pineapple and watermelon – but also more herbs and white pepper spiciness on a surprisingly lengthy finish. This wine brings the best of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Gruner Veltliner together in a new favorite.

Reviewed April 10, 2007 by Lenn Thompson.