Our estate sits on the southern slopes of the Caucasus at 41.64°N, 46.60°E. This is the land that shapes every cup we produce.
Our tea is grown on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus in northwestern Azerbaijan. The terrain rolls between broadleaf forest and open garden land. Winters are cold enough to force the plants into true dormancy. Summers are warm but tempered by mountain air and consistent rainfall.
This combination — long dormancy, steady rain, cool nights — is what allows a plant that originated in East Asia to produce tea of real complexity here in the Southern Caucasus. Slow growth concentrates flavour in the leaf.
The estate sits on brown forest soil — Cambisol in the FAO classification — built up over centuries under deciduous forest cover. It holds moisture without waterlogging, drains freely, and carries the organic matter that feeds slow, steady growth.
We test annually. The pH runs between 5.5 and 6.5, inside the narrow band that tea plants prefer. We do not apply synthetic fertilisers or pesticides. Weed control is manual. Fertility comes from composted leaf litter and green manure crops worked in between rows.
We grow only two cultivars, both selected decades ago for this climate. Both are Camellia sinensis var. sinensis — the small-leaf variety that tolerates cold dormancy.
The workhorse of the estate. A vigorous, cold-tolerant cultivar that produces medium-sized leaves with balanced tannin and a naturally floral, sweet profile. Most of our black teas begin with Azerbaijan-2 leaf.
A smaller-leaf cultivar with a more complex cup. Slower yielding, lower volume, but the basis of our Seçmə reserve. Produces layered, aromatic teas with a lingering sweetness on the finish.
Every grade we produce follows the same five-step orthodox method. No CTC machinery, no shortcuts.
Two leaves and a bud, by hand, every single harvest. Machine harvesting damages the leaf and mixes grades. We sort at the point of picking.
Fresh leaves rest on ventilated trays for 12 to 18 hours. Moisture drops, chemistry shifts, and the leaf becomes pliable enough to roll without tearing.
Withered leaves are rolled to break the cell walls and release enzymes. Pressure and duration are adjusted by grade — gentler for whole-leaf, firmer for everyday grades.
Rolled leaves oxidise in controlled humidity and temperature for two to four hours. This is where black tea gets its colour and structure. We monitor every batch by eye and nose.
Oxidation is halted by drying at 90–110°C until moisture falls below 3 percent. The tea is then graded, rested, and packed for export.
Seven grades, each shaped by a specific harvest window, cultivar, and processing decision.