{"title":"Lekso's Marani","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the Kakheti village of Akhshani, in Akhmeta Municipality, a cellar has been producing wine for over a century. Lekso Pitskhelauri is its current steward, and in 2015 he opened Lekso's Marani to the world, bottling the family tradition and sending nearly 70 percent of production to export markets in Germany, Austria, Poland, and the United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe marani , the Georgian word for a wine cellar , was built by Lekso's grandfather, whose name he also carries. Some of the qvevri vessels still in use today are more than a hundred years old, ranging from five-liter jars used for domestic batches to enormous 2.2-ton earthenware vats. When Lekso took over formal commercial production in 2015, he honored that inheritance without modernizing away its character.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore on how they farm and work in the cellar in our \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/natural-wine-producers-primal-wine\/leksos-marani\"\u003eLekso's Marani producer profile\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"kisi-rkatsiteli-leksos-marani-kakheti-georgia-natural-wine","title":"Lekso's Marani Kisi Rkatsiteli 2017","description":"\u003cp\u003eLekso's Marani is a small family winery in the village of Akhashani, Akhmeta Municipality, Kakheti. Owner Lekso Pitskhelauri produces all of his wines in qvevri, the traditional egg-shaped Georgian clay vessels, some of which are nearly a century old and belonged to his grandfather. This Kisi-Rkatsiteli blend is fermented and aged entirely in qvevri with several weeks of skin contact on the grape solids, including skins, seeds, and stems, which is the traditional Kakhetian method.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKisi is an indigenous Kakheti white grape that was nearly extinct by the early 2000s due to disease pressure and yields 25-30% lower than Rkatsiteli. In qvevri amber wines, Kisi develops flavors of ripe apricot, pear, honey, and walnut, with floral and spice character layered by skin contact. Rkatsiteli, the more widely planted partner, brings high natural acidity and firm tannin structure, making it one of the most qvevri-suited grapes in Georgia.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSkin contact in qvevri extracts tannins, color, and texture from the grape skins, producing the wine's characteristic deep amber hue and grippy but integrated tannins. The buried clay vessel moderates fermentation temperature naturally. No additives or sulfites are used in the winemaking. The result is a dry, structured amber wine with the savory, oxidative edge typical of the Kakhetian qvevri style.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLekso's Marani produces approximately 8,000 bottles annually, 70% of which are exported. The winery's vineyards cover 2.5 hectares in Akhmeta, though Lekso also sources fruit from neighboring Kakheti growers in some years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lekso's Marani","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":13130377625655,"sku":"LEKSKIRK17C","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/kisi-rkatsiteli-leksos-marani-kakheti-georgia-natural-wine_4c0bef3e-8985-4de7-a74b-350752e0fbc8.jpg?v=1780659187"},{"product_id":"khikhvi-rkatsiteli-leksos-marani-kakheti-georgia-natural-wine","title":"Lekso's Marani Khikhvi Rkatsiteli 2017","description":"\u003cp\u003eLekso's Marani is a family winery in the village of Akhashani, Akhmeta Municipality, Kakheti. Owner Lekso Pitskhelauri ferments all of his wines in qvevri — large egg-shaped clay vessels buried underground — some of which are over a century old. This 2017 amber wine blends two indigenous Kakhetian white varieties: Khikhvi, which is known locally in the Akhmeta district as Jananura, and Rkatsiteli, one of the oldest documented grape varieties in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFermentation takes place in qvevri with full skin, seed, and stem contact for several weeks, following the traditional Kakhetian method. The buried vessels maintain a stable underground temperature throughout fermentation and aging, allowing the wine to develop structure and complexity without temperature control equipment or additives. No commercial yeast or SO2 additions are used.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe result is a dry amber wine with the tannic grip and textural weight typical of extended Kakhetian skin contact. Khikhvi contributes its characteristic notes of dried apricot, quince, and honey, while Rkatsiteli adds high natural acidity, orange peel, and walnut-skin tannins. The wine drinks with more structure than its 12.5% ABV suggests.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLekso's Marani produces around 8,000 bottles annually from 2.5 hectares of estate vineyards, with 70% of production exported. The winery opened commercially in 2015, though the family cellar itself dates back at least a century to Lekso's grandfather.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lekso's Marani","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":13130411638839,"sku":"LEKSKHRK17C","price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/khikhvi-rkatsiteli-leksos-marani-kakheti-georgia-natural-wine_d2af57f2-23bf-40f9-b568-363711fc8762.jpg?v=1780659247"}],"url":"https:\/\/primalwine.com\/collections\/lekso-s-marani.oembed","provider":"Primal Wine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}