Wines

A new height within
a time-honored discipline

Clusters of dark Saperavi grapes rest on the ground, partially covered by a layer of white mist or fog, evoking the mystique of Georgia's Kakheti region.

Terroir in the glass

philosophy

Gilauri wines are assembled through vineyard selection, parcel separation, and blending decisions made over time.

The aim is to make wines where terroir remains visible, allowing the character of each site and vintage to be tasted clearly in the glass, while creating wines that belong in every serious cellar.

Three people sort Saperavi dark berries on a large table under bright light in an otherwise dark room, preparing them for wine production in Kakheti.

Saperavi

Structure and longevity

Saperavi is the foundation of the project. Indigenous to Georgia, it is a teinturier variety carrying color in both skin and flesh, contributing depth, tannin, and aging potential.

Gilauri works with Saperavi across multiple vineyard sites, elevations, and vine ages throughout Kakheti, including ungrafted plantings in the Gombori Mountain range.

The variety develops slowly while retaining freshness and structure, allowing each parcel to contribute differently within the final blend.

A large clay fermentation vessel from Kakheti with a glass airlock sits in the corner against a gray wall, evoking the traditional wine-making heritage of the region. A large, tan clay fermentation vessel known as a gilauri, with a glass airlock on top, stands against a gray wall in the corner of a room, evoking traditional winemaking methods from Kakheti.

Precision
without
dogma

Vinification

Fruit is hand-harvested and sorted before fermentation. Each parcel is fermented separately, with extraction managed to retain structure and balance. Temperature and timing are adjusted to the condition of the fruit.

Élevage takes place in a combination of diverse vessels selected for integration. Concrete tanks, clay amphora, stainless steel and oak are used with measure to express terroir without compromise. Lots are evaluated individually and assembled through multiple blending sessions reach the final composition.

The work is collaborative, from fermentation through blending. The vineyard and cellar teams are involved throughout, with external input and refinements at each stage.

The Portfolio

Pure Georgian
expression

A man with a bald head holds a glass of red wine close to his nose, appearing to smell or taste it, with a blurred dark background.

Georgia

Resistance is the first release from Gilauri, sourced from two vineyard sites in Kakheti.

Duruji River Vineyard, located at the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains near the river on volcanic and alluvial soils, contributes structure, darker fruit, and mineral tension. Papari Hills Vineyard sits on the right bank of the Alazani River on the Gombori Mountain bench. Its elevated limestone slopes bring freshness and finer tannic detail to the wine.

Each parcel is harvested, fermented, and evaluated separately before final blending, with the composition refined gradually through élevage and repeated tasting sessions.

The name reflects Georgia’s resistance through centuries of political pressure and occupation, and the continued preservation of language, land, faith, and winemaking culture across generations.

Gilauri’s first white wine is sourced from a single high-elevation vineyard on the southern slopes of the Gombori Range in Kakheti.

Planted at approximately 2,500 feet on chalk and limestone soils, the site benefits from cooler mountain temperatures and a long growing season. These conditions preserve natural acidity while allowing the fruit to develop aromatic complexity and refined texture, producing a Chardonnay defined by precision, freshness, and mineral character.

The fruit is harvested by hand and vinified with minimal intervention to preserve the vineyard’s expression. Careful élevage builds texture and complexity while maintaining the balance and clarity that define the site.

The inaugural 2025 vintage reflects Gilauri’s belief that exceptional wines begin with exceptional terroir, revealing a new expression of Chardonnay shaped by altitude, limestone, and the distinctive character of Gombori Mountain.

This wine offers a level of Georgian Saperavi never before experienced. It is rich, dense, and firmly structured, with a level of tannin ripeness and complexity I frankly did not know was possible with Saperavi.
— Lisa Perotti-Brown, MW

The mother tree

SYMBOLISM

The label image features Kartlis Deda, the Mother of Georgia, intertwined with Zelkova carpinifolia, an indigenous Caucasian tree found on the estate and among the species that survived the last ice age.

The pairing reflects themes that run throughout the project: place, heritage, and a long-term view of viticulture.

A wine bottle label with a drawing of a tree, "GILAURI" in large letters, "2024" below, and "DURUJI VINEYARD" at the bottom.

CELLARING

Built for collectors

Gilauri is produced in limited quantities from selected vineyard parcels across Kakheti. Production follows the vineyard and the conditions of each vintage.

The wines are intended to evolve slowly in bottle and to be returned to over time, with structure, freshness, and balance supporting long-term aging.

Access is offered through allocation, with releases extended first to members of The List.

Two men stand leaning over the edge of a piece of winemaking equipment, illuminated against a dark background at night in Kakheti, Georgia. Two men stand on top of a metal container at night, illuminated by a single light source in an otherwise dark vineyard in Kakheti, Georgia.

THE LIST

Access to each release

Quantities are limited and shaped by the character of each vintage. Access to allocations is offered first through The List.

Join The List
Aerial view of winding mountain roads crossing steep, rocky slopes under a clear blue sky in Georgia's Kakheti region, famed for its wine.