Tsipouro Thessalias Tsilili 41% ABV
As I drove out of the parking at the Raxa-based distillery, near Trikala, Makis Tsililis’s parting words were: “Until the age of 12 I looked after my father’s sheep.” Over the course of a long-planned two-day visit, I came to appreciate this guy, one of two brothers, and their success story.
The wiry Makis (55) is refreshingly down to earth and candid about his vineyards and wine shortcomings. “We focused during the past 20 years on building the Tsilili (tsipouro) brand. We now have to sort out our vineyards and winemaking.” A breath of fresh air. It has been ages since I had last been subjected to never-ending “inventive” vintner tales.
While being driven around the various vineyard sites, I came to appreciate Makis’s knowledge of local geology and profound understanding of nature. Equally impressive was his grasp of the sub-cultures of the Karagouni, Hasiotes (himself one) and Vlachs, which is part of the diverse human mosaic of today’s Greece. Speaking of origins, mine are Arberesh. All in all, it a was an enriching fact-finding mission. Thanks to Makis being a great guide, this previously little-known to me part of the western Thessaly plain has now been “sketched”. According to a paper recently sent to me, geologists have recently discovered (near Hasiote country) granitic rocks dating some 700 million years. So far thought to be the oldest in Greece. This is already on my next vineyard trip action list.
After studying chemistry, Makis and his elder brother Kostas, who manages sales in Athens, started distilling Muscat of Hamburg, of which there are 2.000 hectares. How did this lightly aromatic grape come to dominate the Thessaly plain? In 1934, a disastrous frost left thousands of farmers with a loss of an important source of revenue. State agronomists recommended planting high-yielding MOH. 70 odd years later, the Thessaly plain, with a reported 3.000 stills, is the nation’s unofficial tsipouro capital, and the Tsililis Brothers have become one of the leading tsipouro producers. Makis has another reason to be proud: His daughter Ioanna, a Bordeaux graduate, recently joined the family firm.
Clear. Very clean, delicate, muscat aroma – reminiscent of flowering vines. Finely balanced, grapey spirit offset by a creamy textured, assertive yet not aggressive finish. Charms with a spicy finish. Re-confirming that lower-ranking grapes make worthy distillates.
Score: 17/20
For more details please visit: www.tsililis.gr
16.08.2010
