The Balance of Kakheti: Visiting Matiashvili Marani

Matiashvili marani’s wines have fascinated us since we first discovered them in 2017. They are unmistakably Kakhetian ambers: deep, structured and powerful, yet carrying a freshness and balance that makes them wines we keep returning to.

Few wine styles are as immediately recognisable as Kakhetian amber. The combination of qvevri, months on skins, and Georgia’s warm eastern climate creates wines with a depth and structure unlike almost anywhere else. But that structure comes with a reputation: young Kakhetian ambers can be intense wines, with firm tannins and a grip that often demands either patience for aging or a place at the table.

Matiashvili Karva 22

This is where Matiashvili Marani has always stood out to us. Their Rkatsiteli are classic expressions of Kakhetian amber: deep, structured wines, often 14.5% ABV or more, yet remarkably composed, with ripe tannins and a sense of balance and freshness that is unusual for the style. That feels all the more impressive considering the vineyards are situated in some of the hottest parts of Kakheti. We often wondered what lay behind this particular expression. A recent visit to the marani gave us some insight into the approach behind it.

The family’s ties to winemaking stretch back to the 19th century, when they cultivated vineyards in Jugaani, in Kakheti's Tibaani microzone. Like many Georgian wine families, this continuity was interrupted during the Soviet period, when the family vineyards and property were taken into the collective system. Yet the tradition of qvevri winemaking continued quietly within the family, preserved at home across generations, until after independence when Merab Matiashvili began rebuilding the family marani.

Beginning in 2013, Merab spent several years working alongside Soliko Tsaishvili at Our Wine, one of the pioneers of Georgia's modern natural wine movement, before establishing Matiashvili Marani as we know it today. When Soliko became ill, Merab took over winemaking responsibilities at Our Wine. He also produced his own wines in the same cellar, with the 2014–2020 Matiashvili vintages made there before he eventually moved to his own marani. Today, he works with old organic vineyards in Tibaani, Kardenakhi and Bakurtiskhe, following a low-intervention approach built around indigenous yeasts and minimal additions, with only sulphur used when needed.

But history alone does not explain the consistency and character of the wines.

Merab at the new marani

We recently had the chance to visit Merab and his son Soso at the vineyards and the marani. Merab is a thoughtful and humble man, a paediatrician by profession who still escapes Tbilisi every weekend to work among the vines. That close connection with the vineyard feels central to the style of his wines.

When we asked what he looks for when deciding when to harvest, rather than speaking in terms of sugar levels or measurements, his answer was simple: he tastes the grapes. That ability to judge phenolic ripeness, acidity and texture together seems to lie at the heart of Matiashvili's signature balance. He seemed genuinely surprised when I told him that, for us, the defining characteristic of his wines had always been their acidity and balance.

What stands out is that Merab does not follow tradition for tradition’s sake. Instead, he makes decisions based on what his terroir, the changing climate and each individual wine requires. Perhaps one of the clearest examples of this philosophy is his approach to stems. In a region where stem inclusion has a long history, particularly in that part of Kaheti, Merab generally avoids using stems in his wines, believing the grapes themselves provide the structure needed.

Matiashvili Karva 2014

The day ended where it had to: with the bottle that started it all. After a long day of travel, getting the car stuck more than once in the rain-soaked vineyards, and conversations over wine at the marani, we finally opened the 2014 Karva, Matiashvili Marani's very first bottled vintage: a Rkatsiteli from 60-year-old vineyards in Jugaani. We had tasted it once before, a year earlier, but in a busy setting that left little room to reflect. Even then, its quality was impossible to miss.

The 2014 vintage reminded us exactly why Matiashvili’s wines have stayed with us for so many years. Medium-light amber in the glass, it was still beautifully alive after more than a decade. Peach and apricot led the way, with a remarkably juicy character and a rich, almost viscous texture.

The palate was intense yet balanced, with bright acidity carrying the wine through an extraordinarily long finish. For an amber wine of this age, the freshness was striking. The tannins had softened into the background, leaving behind a wine that felt powerful but never heavy.

Perhaps most impressive was the sense of harmony. Everything was in place: depth, freshness, texture and energy. After all these years, the surprise wasn't how well the wine had aged. It was discovering that the signature we now associate with Matiashvili Marani was already present in the very first vintage. 

That sense of continuity extends beyond the wine itself. Merab’s son Soso, a professional rugby player, helps his father in the vineyard and marani whenever his schedule allows. He told us that after retiring from rugby, he is considering studying oenology to contribute more to the family winery. We hope he does, but we suspect that some of the most valuable lessons will come from simply walking the vineyards with his father, tasting grapes and learning when the moment is right to harvest.