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by Manos Angelakis
2009 Greek Wine Tasting
The Greek wine industry seems to have been going one step forward and two steps back. The tastings of the last two years were indicating a backwards trend towards wines targeted to a strictly ethnic Greek market. This year’s tastings showed a much more positive trend, with beautiful wines made from both Greek indigenous grapes and blends of Greek varietals and French noble grapes. The result is easy to drink, logically priced wines, ready for consumption on purchase. Yet, some of these wines will improve if cellared for a few years.
I was invited to a tasting of wines produced by some of the better boutique Greek wineries. They are now imported by Wonderful Ethnic Importers, 230 Fifth Ave., in New York City, a large importer of Greek, Cypriot and Brazilian wines. Konstantine Drougos, the head of Wonderful Ethnic Importers, believes in presenting these distinctive wines to the general US public, not only the ethnic market, “because these wines are of superior quality that will delight both the casual wine drinker and the wine aficionado”. And I do agree with that evaluation.
Of the wines presented at the tasting, I was delighted by the wines of Vatistas, Pavlou, Haggipavlu, and Megapanos. There were a number of other brands, including the Brazilian Miolo Winery from Brazil’s Bento Gonzalves, ETCO wines from Cyprus, and Agros Winery, but I concentrated on the above-mentioned four producers, because they create wines very representative of some of the best Greek terroir. Vatistas and Haggipavlu are located in different areas of the Peloponnese; Megapanos is in Attica, near Athens, but with acreage in other parts of the country; and Pavlou is in Macedonia. Many of these wines are fairly inexpensive.
I found the following wines worthy of gracing any table:
2007 Agros Assyrtiko “Katerina” Santorini. The Assyrtiko vines planted in Santorini’s volcanic soil create exceptional white wines. Assyrtiko is planted in other areas of Greece as well, but no other Assyrtiko wine comes close to the wines made from Santorini’s vines when it comes to aroma, body, and palate. The grapes are handpicked from the volcanic hillside and make a wine with abundant fruit and minerality no other Greek white wine exhibits. At a retail of under $18 per bottle, it is a wine well worth exploring.
Another extremely nice, aromatic white wine was Haggipavlu’s 2007 Moschofilero from Mantinia. Moschofilero is another native Greek varietal that has been used since ancient times to make beautiful, dry white wines, with enough acidity to cut through the fat of traditional Greek food. If you are a white wine drinker, Moschofilero can be had both as an aperitif and at the table.
There were four other noteworthy whites, all made by Vatistas, from indigenous varietals many other Greek vintners have abandoned in favor of the much easier to cultivate Savatiano, Roditis and Chardonnay.
2006 Vatistas Athiri. A dry, floral and citrusy wine made from one of the oldest indigenous Greek grapes. Light green/yellow color, great structure, and long finish with abundant minerality. Serve well chilled. I consider it one of the quintessential summer Greek wines.
2007 Vatistas Kidonitsa. Named after the quince (Kidoni) and spice aromas that dominate the nose of this wine. The finish is long with grapefruit, slate, and a hint of smoke. This wine is excellent with grilled fish and seafood. A bit pricier than the others, but worth every penny.
Two other indigenous varietals that were nearly extinct and would be excellent with charcoal grilled fish, charcoal grilled octopus, and baby calamari, were the 2007 Malagouzia and 2007 Petroulianos. Both are quite aromatic but the Malagouzia exhibits undertones of exotic fruits with a hint of citrus, and a rounded, mature palate. The Petroulianos, has elevated minerality, firm acidity, and is aged for at least 6 months in oak. It has gold color with some silver on the edge, and the finish has a slight but unmistakable brininess.
On the red side, two indigenous grapes Xinomavro and Agiorgitiko dominate Greek winemaking. Both are medium to full bodied, and many winemakers blend them with Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah to enhance the wine’s backbone and color.
Agiorgitiko compares readily with Merlot. Vatistas makes a very nice, 100% Agiorgitiko, wine called Vatistas Nemea – from the name of the area where the vineyard is located. The 2005 vintage is deep ruby colored. It is aged for 1 year in French oak barriques, and is well balanced, with soft tannins and a long aromatic finish. Vatistas also makes a blend of Agiorgitiko and Cabernet (50/50) that is a nice way to introduce wine aficionados to Greek winemaking. Nose of cassis, sour cherries and spices with a long finish of violets and a hint of chocolate. Megapanos, has the winery and main vineyard in Attica; but he also has acreage in Namea where he makes an excellent Agiorgitiko wine, intensely crimson in color, fruity, with sour cherry and black fruits and herbs on the nose. The 2005 Agiorgitiko Nemea, was especially nice.
Xinomavro is ubiquitous in Macedonia. It is the sole variety permitted under the Naousa and Amyntaio appellations and one of two (with Negoska) under the Goumenitsa appellation. The name Xynomavro is the conjunction of the Greek words for acid or sour (xyno) and black (mavro), a fact that hints at some characteristics of the variety. I find the aroma of aged Xynomavro a little reminiscent of great Burgundy wines.
Pavlou Winery had an outstanding blend of Xinomavro and Syrah P62 (55/45) in the Kappa (single vineyard) line. I tasted a 2006 bottle, and was charmed by the nose of black fruit, plums, cigar box, and dark chocolate. In the mouth, firm but ripe tannins rooted in a dense layer of ripe fruit. An almost full-bodied wine, with balanced acidity. The same producer also had an intriguing Xynomavro/Riesling (80/20) blend, the 2006 Pavlou Kappa P11. It's medium/full bodied, with a bright golden color; orange rind, cherry and rose aromas on the nose, intense acidity, wonderful texture and a long, flavorful finish. Finally, Kappa Klima, 100% Xynomavro, with black forest berries, dried sour cherries, licorice, tar, and tobacco on the finish. Aged half in stainless steel and half in barrels. A bit lighter body than I expected; slightly astringent due to the young age (2006 vintage). With a little cellar time should develop to a very nice wine.
Eviva!
(For further information on the most popular Greek varietal grapes, and some other good Greek vintners, please see Modern Greek Wines)
© April 2009 The Oenophile Blog. All rights reserved.
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