Greek Wine World » Tasting

Santorini Cuvee No. 15 Hatzidakis

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:19:55 +0000

Market forces demand custom-made wines. This applies even to niche players like Greece. The Hatzidakis Cuvee No. 15 was made for the French market. Paris-based importer Yiorgos Ioannidis, who is tireless in his endeavours to promote hand-crafted wines, ended up sharing some of it with a France-based Japanese sourcing agent. The usually reticent Japanese were smitten by this wine, as well as by the Ghi ke Uranos Naoussa 2007, also reviewed in these pages. “ What a sense of placeness” was the terse, Far-East utterance of approval.

Haridimos Hatzidakis has been through a rough patch. He is fighting his way back. He spent time this past spring talking up this and his other wines with Parisian clients who were thrilled to meet this shy Cretan. He was on good form when I recently saw him on the island. This off-the-beaten-path Santorini was one of the few bottles to take with me, as I wanted to taste it from afar. It ended up in an impromptu tasting of various Greek wines at 1600 m. altitude in the Swiss Alps. Mountain biking and long walks had sharpened the senses.

The 2009 Hatzidakis wines were chiefly made by Apostolos Thimiopoulos, whose above-mentioned Naoussa rocked the sleepy appellation, resting on her past glories. He exceptionally, and as a one-off, helped out a colleague in need. Nice. For the 2010 vintage Helias Roussakis(ex Sigalas) has joined Haridimos Hatzidakis.

Cuvee No. 15 is a blend of grapes from three different organically farmed vineyards. Thimiopoulos adds, “It was a gamble. Wild yeast ferment and minimum intervention. It was left in a corner; it turned out beautifully’’. There was no sulphur added. The 2009 harvest conditions were exceptional. The cooler nights preserved the crunchy freshness of the near-perfect grapes. You are getting ahead of me. This micro–cuvee, is very much in orange wine category. It makes sense, in such a top-notch vintage, to go for it in this style, currently undergoing revival, of esoteric wines with a cult following.

Hazy, golden-copper orange. Starts off a little dull. After aerating, flint stone and acacia honey. Raw quince? Tannic core, honeycomb. Punchy minerality picks up from the mid palate. Compact, bone-dry, mineral, very , very long, persistent finish. Label states 14.5% (tastes like 15.5%ABV). A more modern version of 1990’s Nyhteri from Vourvoulos. The sheer volume and pronounced lively acidity, with a savoury umami parting shot, are memorable. It will continue to evolve, eventually resembling Jura vin jaune. Best 2010-2015.

Score: 18/20

France agent email: oenos.fpl@free.fr

Tsipouro Thessalias Tsilili 41% ABV

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:36:57 +0000

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

Santorini Canava Argyrou

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:03:04 +0000

All upcoming regions have seminal tastings. Some are better publicised, others less so. In the not too distant 2000, at a press tasting in London organised by Steve Daniel, then Buying and Marketing director at Oddbins and now at Novum, he placed “blind”, last in a line-up of Chardonnay tasting, a ringer. “Chablis on steroids” was one explicit comment. The wine? A 1999 oak-fermented Santorini Argyros.
On a recent stay on the island of Thera, better known internationally by its medieval Latin name, Santorini, I tasted several older vintages, with Mattheos Argyros, the fourth generation of this top-notch address. We looked at 2006, 2000, and 1997. The 2006 was a mere baby, and the 1997 was reductive. It was the 2000 that showed best. It struck me as the closest this piece of volcanic rock in the southern Aegean will ever be stylistically to Puligny Montrachet, with a hugely surprising nod to the Middle Mosel. Over an hour or so, I savoured it. It just got better. Holding up beautifully to the last drop. There was some sea urchin lurking in my fluffy risotto. This 2000 Santorini held its own against the onslaught of the rich in iodine sea urchin froth, even rising to the crisp and sweet marathoriza (finnochio).
Beyond the sheer pleasure of sharing this rarity with friends, at Perivoli restaurant, the telling factor of this hypothetical cross, where Burgundy meets the thoroughbred purity of Santorini, was that it was tank fermented. No oak, but time in bottle, in a humid cool cellar at the Argyros estate. Cork was in great shape too. The very same wine, a blend of Episkopi and Pyrgos vineyards, continues today under the recently new label: 2009 Assyrtiko Santorini Argyros.
Initially shy. Slowly opening up to a subtle hazelnut aroma. Whiff of the saline minerality and bracing acidity with which these wines are so blessed. Revisiting the glass: petrol and honey on the ever expanding aromatic complexity which follows through on a very long, textured palate. Supple, classy minerality, wrapped in a “gentler”, bone-dry, linear finish. All fronts in complete unison. Best 2010-2014?
Score: 19/20
For more information please visit: www.estate-argyros.com
Greece distribution: www.genkacomm.gr
USA: www.winebow.com

Sigalas Santorini

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:50:32 +0000

20.00 hours. King Ra was just about to disappear into the pink-grey of the Aegean. I glanced over my shoulder and saw a paraglider hovering majestically over the Caldera. With the thermal bouncing off the volcanic rock, he occasionally went into in a holding pattern resembling number 8. This Caldera sighting of the bird-man swooping over the whitewashed domes and orange-purple sky was new to me. Improvisation struck, a plan was hatched. To drive towards this modern-day Icarus and follow him to his landing spot. Hopefully, to get a comment on what it is like flying off the Caldera, to ask him about his bird’s-eye view take on the vineyards. Who knows? He may even appreciate wine. Then the plan went terribly wrong: The cell-phone went off with news of change of address for our supper rendezvous. By the time I was back on track, the bird-man had flown overland to Faros (Akrotiri), where he became a hazy blur before I eventually lost sight of him. If I am to bag the bird-man, I will have to check wind forecasts on sailing websites.

This Caldera scene was still vivid when in the kitchen of our beach-front taverna we had gone through the Greek ritual of selecting ‘’our victims’’. I was now faced with two large glass-door refrigerators. In them, a varied selection of the island’s bone-dry whites and an assortment of other Greek wines. I pointed the 2009 Sigalas to the bearded taverna owner, whose elongated craggy looks remind me of a French actor whose name has shamelessly joined my ever-growing pantheon of “anonymous” heroes.

The 2008 Santorini vintage was good. As were the 2005 and the 2007, though not a match for the exceptional 2006. Perhaps the 2009 will match it, or surpass the 2006. By summer 2011 a clear picture will emerge of how it stacks up. (See Articles: The 2009 Vintage Report). Evenings are not the best time for review. Mornings are far more suited to deconstructing a wine. Yet, despite the day’s fatigue and fast-dropping adrenalin, this 2009 Sigalas Santorini shone like a beacon. It is still going through the motions, heading for its starting point. From the very first sip, it was lively and complete, if a little subdued. Cellar this wine. It will reward your patience. Look at it periodically and (re)-discover a great terroir of the Greek vineyard.

Platinum and green tints. Floral, reminiscent of vines flowering. Seamlessly flows on into aromas of flint and green tea. Fireworks of crisp minerality kicking in with a lemony, stony, layered palate. Very long, refined, classy aftertaste. A saline iodine postscriptum. In “reading” the empty glass, a lesson in expression(s) of wine minerality unfolds. Best as of 2011-2018.

Score: 18.5/20

For more details please visit: www.sigalas-wine.com

Belgium: www.pasqualinno.be

China: www.asianbeveragecompany.com

USA: www.diamondwineimporters.com

www.frederickwildman.com

Organic Cabernet Sauvignon Chalkidiki Tsantali

admin — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:51:03 +0000

A behemoth of Greek wine, Tsantali is 12 million bottles large. You can find something of their vast range on many a remote island. In villages, even settlements, where a bakaliko (grocery store) acts as social centre. This ubiquitous giant also distils those quintessentially Greek drinks, tsipouro and ouzo.

One quite never knows what Tsantali has in mind. More recently, having headhunted Panayoti Kyriakidis from Ampeloeniki (a leading consulting outfit), they appointed him as Chief Oenologist. I am closely watching what new ideas and direction this experienced technician and his team will bring to this volume-oriented wine and spirit address. The reviewed wine shows that they can do small (for them) lots of 15,000 bottles, which are worth the discovery of a bull’s-eye effort. As I have mentioned in these pages, overwhelmingly Greek CS are off-target. Made according to a French protocol, not tuned to Greek climatic farming requirements, they do not have much of a future. In the current grim financial situation, crystal-ball gazing what to replant for the future comes sharply into focus. Yet, this organic vineyard, located opposite their sprawling base in Aghios Pavlos, Chalkidiki, could not be a more enticingly no-compromise example. Soil is silty clay lying on a bedrock of limestone. My favourite pet of phenolically ripened tannins is near-perfect. Indeed, such were the seductive powers of this lucent varietal, it left me enchanted. It is also good to see one of the big players offer such characterful individuality.

Deep red. Initially ‘sweet’ nose with spice and chocolate. It opens up to earthy notes, cedar. Shoulder is covered with encrusted tannin in what the French call ‘chemise’. Ripe tannins, well-knit oak. Generous, persistent feral finish. Big and bold. Carafing recommended. Best: 2010-15.

Score: 17/20

For more details please visit www.tsantali.gr

Exclusive Greece retailer: www.wine-house.gr

Aidani Estate Argyros

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:49:39 +0000

Assyrtiko-based Santorini, is a complex, full-throttle, mineralic vin de terroir. One thing it is not is an aperitif wine. Yet, in the numerous white grapes found in the vineyard, the last of the 3 As (Athiri, Assyrtiko and Aidani) is the most aromatic. Very little of it is grown on the island, it is highly prized, especially sought to brighten up the aromatic profile of the expensive, sweet, sun-dried Vinsanto. Aidani commands Euro 1.45 per kg. versus Assyrtiko’s Euro 1.05 kg. (prices for the 2009 vintage). Approaching harvest, there is much café-lobbying and vivid mobile-phone bidding by the now 13 wineries on this one-of-a-kind, historic island vineyard.

The island’s Canava with the oldest and finest Vinsanto reserves is the third-generation and fourth-generation father Yannis and son Mattheos Argyros. 10 years ago, they planted 1.2 hectares of Aidani in Episkopi Gonias, in the time-honoured and unique to this island basket-shaped pruning. Most of their Aidani ends up in the class-leading Vinsanto. As of 2005, a limited quantity is bottled as a varietal. As chronicled in my 2009 vintage report (see under Articles), the unusually cooler summer and harvest conditions played handsomely into enhancing the aromatic subtleties of this Cycladic-island rarity. Yannis Argyros adds, “We were not looking to add another label (there are 10) but wanted to show this as a varietal. To date, the 2009 is the most complete vintage.” Another factor for suggesting this wine as a sipping wine is the lower alcohol of 12.5% ABV, approximately one degree less than Assyrtiko-based wines. It is longer lived than the fragile Athiri (see my recent posting on the exceptional Santo Wines example). At this level, this Aidani will keep its vibrancy for up to two years.

Pale yellow-green tints. Fragrant. Lemon blossom with a smokey mineral background. Textured. Richly flavoured. Crisp bone-dry bracing pyritic finish. A great balancing act, combining the floral aromatics and the unmistakable pronounced terroir. Classy and stylish. A different facet of this never a dull terroir.

Score: 17.5/20

For more details please visit www.estate-argyros.com

Athiri Santo Wines

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 07:52:09 +0000

One never knows what Santorini’s volcanic embrace holds. During a five-day visit, with tastings at nine wineries, the most unexpected wine was the Athiri produced by Santo Wines (the Cooperative). In this instance, the saying ‘wine has the last word’ could not hold more true.

Historians tell us Athiri has been in the southern Aegean islands since classical times. For years, my textbook example has been Athiri found amongst pine forests and stony slopes on Mount Ebonas, on southern Rhodes. Athiri on Santorini is part of the vineyard mix. Placed between the bold-tasting Assyrtiko and the softer, fragrant Aidani. Athiri does not have an easy life here. It is prone to rot. The summer maritime humidity more often does take its toll. Nevertheless, in recent memory, the generally delicate Athiri has had a chance to shine on its own here. The 2009 Greek vintage was difficult. (Look for my vintage report under Articles).

Santo Wines have been trying hard to raise their game. Oenologist Nikos Varvarigos has both the vision and tools to commit considerable resources on this blue-chip, demanding terroir. There is marked improvement throughout their range. Light years away from their past mediocrities I first experienced in the 1990s. Residual sugar and other off-the-mark, directionless styles.

During tasting with the reserved Nikos Varvarigos in what must be one of the most sublime views in the world, overlooking the Caldera and the youngest volcanic island of Nea Kameni, the 2009 Athiri quietly grabbed my attention. It was a revelation. This limited release, all of 3,000 bottles, sold only at the cellar door, is the near-perfect spring-summer sipping wine. It does not have the staying power of the Assyrtiko-based Santorinis. It will hold through autumn. As my turbo-propped plane swooped up into the cloudy sky, I could not stop wondering how such frail beauty could be born in such a hostile, windswept ecosystem. Ditto for a certain saying on wine.
Skin contact, resulting in white flowers, honeysuckle. Faint minerality. Soft, juicy, layered mineral persistence. Subtle, long finish. Digestive and refreshing. Elegant. Hugely surprising. A rare treat.

Score: 16.5/20

For more details, please visit: www.santowines.gr

Nemea Mitravelas Estate

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:45:00 +0000

This centenarian negociant, vineyard owner and, more recently, bottler is one of Nemea’s top addresses. There are no secrets to their success. Intimate knowledge of the valley-floor best-draining name places. Equally at home with which hillside performs best in a given vintage. Their long-established contacts with some of the best farmers add to a considerable deck of cards. Managing all this is Kostas Mitravelas, a straight-talking and low-key member of Nemea’s younger generation of historic wine families. The oenologist Gregory Vrettos, whose dark handsome good looks would not be out of place in an Armani advertisement, is another asset to this going places estate. Behind his boyish charm lies one of the better talents to graduate from the Athens University. This busy 26-year-old also manages to find time to run a full-time agricultural laboratory in his home town of Thiva. Vrettos also handles the estate’s exports and travels extensively to open new markets. The year 2006 was a pretty vintage in Nemea. Most of the old-vine Aghiorghitiko was safely picked before the last 20% of the harvest was hit by heavy rains.
Medium dark. Blue rim. Broadly fruited. Black cherries. Round palate with melt-in-mouth suave tannins. Succulent supple finish. Still more to come. Could not be more appellation-true. If you are new to the elegant charms of Nemea, this is one of the best introductions to old-vine (+35-year-old bush vines) examples now on the scene. Best 2010-2015.

Score: 17.5/20

See review of another wine by this Estate: Kokkino se Mavro

For more details, please visit: www.mitravelas.com
Greece distributor: www.cavahalari.gr
UK: www.bibendum-wine.co.uk

Rapsani Dougos

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:24:01 +0000

‘Sense of place’ is an overused cliché. Yet, this Rapsani, from the tiny artisan Dougos vineyards and winery is SOP personified. From a clutch of recently tasted Xinomavro-based blends, this wine had such a clear geographic imprint. It filled me with joy and helped in nailing another little flag in the terroir wine map I have for years been deciphering. Louisa and Thanos Dougos, the energetic sister-and-brother team, are making their mark with yet another characterful red wine. Their white wines are idiosyncratic but that is another altogether different story. It is this Rapsani of which I urge you to get hold of a few bottles to cellar for several years. They will reward you. It is a blend of Kapsala and Tourtoura vineyards. These north-east facing plateaus (550-650 m.), with commanding views over the Thermaikos Gulf, are nestled on the foothills of Mount Olympus. Having recently re-visited these two name places, it reminded me of what exciting wines can be made in the right hands in this region, once prominent and historic for its wines. They may not have had oenologist degrees back in the 19th century. Yet, empirically they fully understood how nature ‘helped’ make good wine if the vineyards were located off the hotter and heavier valley-floor soils and on well-drained, cooler hillsides. If you plan to plant a vineyard then head for the local café, where the old boys will be more than willing to show you the – now mostly abandoned – better sites.

Organic. 60% Xinomavro, 30% Krasato, 10% Stavroto. Flattering nose of tar, warm-fruited, earthy, oriental spice. It keeps evolving to a Pinot Noir-like ‘sweetness’. Firm, though ripe, tannic backbone. Umami-like meatiness. Old vine concentration. Savoury finish brimming with mountain freshness. Carafing recommended. Best 2011 -2017.

Score: 17.5/20

For more details please visit: www.dougos.gr

Syrah Ktima Pavlidis

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:22:19 +0000

This relative newcomer has several aces up its sleeve. It was built on – so to speak – solid foundations in the vineyard. Nothing has been spared in winemaking kit. With the passing of every new vintage, Christophoros Pavlidis, who made his fortune in marble, granite and construction, seems en route to succeed in his lofty ambitions to join the upper echelon of leading estates. No one can underestimate the importance of the human factor in any project. The old adage ‘you are only as good as your team’ could not be more appropriate for the capable hands of Nikos Karatzas. He is far more mature than his 32 years of age. Member of the new generation of technicians who are so in tune with their vineyards. Recently, I spent time with him. Ktima Pavlidis is lucky to have him. Watch out for the video to be posted with highlights from my visit in the company of this all-round über-talented chemist-oenologist. There are other impressive wines in this going places estate: The 2009 Assyrtiko is a very convincing varietal, introducing yet another facet of this great grape. Yet, it was the 2007 Syrah that tipped the scales for me. There are several pleasant enough Greek Syrahs. Few do stand out and are carving a great future. This varietal from western Drama is one of them.

Dark. Perfumed purity. Generous backbone, oozing minerality. Refined tannins. Lush and vivid. Think of northern Rhone with Greek gutsiness. Best 2010-2016.

Score: 17/20

For more details, please visit: www.ktima-pavlidis.gr