Brand, Charles & Philippe 2021 Vin de France Kvevri Blanc

Kvevri is a new wine from Philippe Brand that was aged with some skin contact in buried Kvevri (Georgian spelling is Kvevri or Qvevri, otherwise known as Amphora) in Philippe's garden in Alsace. A blend of Pinot Auxerrois, Chardonnay and Riesling, aged in three 800L Kvevris which were imported from Georgia, and are lined with a thin layer of beeswax. Maceration time is 10 months, with an additional 2 months of aging before bottling without filtration or added SO2. There is real grip to this wine, a nice structured mouthfeel, very similar to the level of tannins found in most Georgian amber wines. Both an homage and an exploration of aging vessels and maceration times that are atypical for Alsace.