To Dakri tou Pefkou 2008 Stelios Kechris & Daughters
On the last day of the 9th Thessaloniki International Wine Competition (www.wineroads.gr) my Canadian friend and co-judge Tony Aspler asked me to taste a retsina. Luckily, one of the finest addresses of modern made, far from lacklustre retsina is close by. There are dozens of cheaper labels on the market. None though as intriguing and different as To Dakri tou Pefkou (the tear of the pine).
So, before going to lunch, we tasted it. His comment? “It is… elegant.” That it is. There is more to this upmarket handcrafted retsina. Bear with me putting things into context. Retsina (resinated wine) is usually made with the Savatiano grape. Its historic homeland is around Athens, in the villages of Markopoulo and Spata, not far from the airport. Thessaloniki is another retsina town, mainly due to the huge Malamatina concern. Very little is actually made elsewhere. How is it made? In short, after fermentation kicks off in your stainless steel tank, one adds the pine resin. Presto! your menthol-like freshness. You either love it or cannot stand it. There is opinion but no dogma in these pages. No one is asking to like our heritage. To me retsina is above all a summer wine. Alfresco dining. Barefoot, twirling tows in sand or lukewarm, moist pebbles. It makes a great spritzer (long glass, ice and soda). Grilled sardines? Here the usually ultra-food friendly Chardonnay fails the test. Frankly, retsina does not often feature on my winter shortlists. Yet, one has to remain open minded. On a whim and with rather high curiosity stakes, I recently gambled by pairing it with a medium-hot perfumed curry. Delicious. It works a lot better than lager beer.
Back to this top-end vintage-dated resinated wine. Two influential factors have been changed from the above outlined recipe. The grape. Upgraded, if you wish, to Assyrtiko. Noted for its structure, mineral sympathies and high acidity. It is then fermented, not in stainless steel tanks, in which most good commercial large-volume retsina is now made. Our Dakri (Tear) is fermented in new oak casks. After fermentation has ceased, it is left on its fine lees for some time. Just as aspiring to greatness Chardonnays, the lees are stirred to broaden flavour. So this is Kechris winning recipe: Start with the most striking white grape of the eastern Mediterranean. Add Halepensis pine resin, and, after fermentation has run its course, let autolysis, oak and nature to do the rest.
Its aroma is delicate. Not your heavy-handed, well, turpentine burst of a coma-inducing resin mega dosage. In fact, its aroma (almost) behaves like any other fine wine. Nuanced, constantly changing. A whiff of lavender. A broad, layered spectrum of fascinating flavours. Freshly grated ginger and Chios mastic. Crisp, clean, lemony tasting, with persistence on the finish. Let’s face it, no other wine jolts your senses like good retsina. Serve chilled but not cold. Otherwise you will miss out on most of the action. The best is yet to come. Does not wine have the last word? Go ahead and astonish yourself – enjoy it again in intervals of 6, 12, even 18 months. Nature’s greatness is infinitely instructive. It is humbling, too.
How did this wine do in the competition? It won a Gold medal. Three years ago, it scooped up ‘Double Gold,’ which is the most coveted gong of all. This time, neither Tony or I judged retsina. There is always next year.
Score: 17.5/20
www.kechri.gr
email: info@kechri.gr
18.04.2009
