Kisi (Kakheti)

Kisi is a less common Kakhetian vine variety, giving high quality table white wine. European-installed yellowish straw with a golden tinge. The aroma is well portrayed, gentle, pleasant, and the taste is complete, harmonious. Kakhetian wine has a higher dignity – it is dark straw-colored, with a pleasant aroma of well-defined fruit, gentle, full, meaningful, the taste is harmonious and velvety. Very good quality dessert wines are accepted.
It withstands drought well and is characterized by good frost resistance. Shows weak resistance to ash. Has a tendency to cover the grains with mold, especially in rainy autumns.

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WINE GRAPES

A complete guide to 1368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours.

KISI

Floral – scented Georgia variety made in both modern and traditional styles.

PRINCIPAL SYNONYMS: Kissi, Maghranuli

ORIGINS AND PARENTAGE

Kisi is indigenous to Kakheti in south – eastern Georgia. According to the Vitis International Variety Catalogue, Kisi is a cross between Mtsvane (it’s not clear whether this refers to Mtsvane Kakhuri or Goruli Mtsvane and Rkatsiteli but this has been disproved by DNA analysis (Vouillamoz et al. 2006)

VITICULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

Late budding, mid ripening. Small to medium – sized loose bunches of thin – skinned berries. Very sensitive to climate and difficult to grow.

WHERE IT’S GROWN AND WHAT ITS WINE TASTES LIKE

Kisi wines have intense floral aromas as well as flavours of dried pear and apples that give the impression of sweetness even when the wine is dry. There are two main styles: modern European and traditional Georgian, the latter fermented in qvevri, traditional clay vessels, showing more apricot, mint and orange characteristics. There were 50 ha (124 acres) of Kisi in Kakheti, south – eastern Georgia, in 2008, notably in the villages of Maghraani and argokhi, and it is often part of a local blend. Many producers blend Kisi with other local varieties such as Rkatsiteli.

BY – Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, Joze Vouillamoz.