Greek wines

WINE TALK
1

Greek wines -

2022 Sclavos Vino di Sasso, Robola (organic) - This was good, striking for freshness, salinity, minerality, lemon. With a touch more intensity and a longer finish, could have been amazing. Still nice, rated 86.5, drink up.

2021 Domaine Glinavos Paleokerisio, Debina / Vlahiko (organic) - This is listed as a semi-sparkling wine of Ioannina. Two new grapes I’ve never heard of in one bottle, and it’s outstanding! It feels almost fully sparkling, the acidity is zingy, lots of Granny Smith apple as well as a touch of lime, harmonious, excellent balance. Rated 91.5. It’s bottled in a squat 500ml. I’ll be buying this for quality and originality, looking forward to serving it blind to some unsuspecting geeks.

2020 Domaine Zafeirakis Limniona (organic) - My first taste of a red from my Rosé discovery of last year, first red Limniona, and excellent.
The aromas are red fruit and a surprising note of oak, well integrated. The texture is both light and solid, vivid acidity, good earthiness. Tastes like a distant relative of a fine Chianti. Rated 91.5, could improve for a few years.

2021 Haritatos Madamoiselle, Mavrodaphne (organic) - Eileen asked for the warmest red BTG, our waitress didn’t hesitate… a good call. Plump black fruit with enough acidity to balance, I’m guessing about 14% alcohol, carried with finesse. A very Mediterranean feel to this, there are some herbal notes that complemented the mountain greens and roasted celeriac. Rated 88.

2022 Makarounas En Arhi Cabernet Franc (organic) - We’d had 4 half glasses, I needed another sip at the end, gave this a try. I’m not a big Cab Franc fan, still not. It’s medium bodied, OK texture, but the flavors are kind of lean and quite green. I’m OK with the olive, but the bell pepper is strong and out of place. Rated 82.

I have to once again extol Taverna Khione in Brunswick, ME. Busy for a Tuesday night, with an even more varied crowd than usual (a tall young black man in a full-length gray coat with gold buttons, hat, but without the logo… a confederate general’s uniform… that was a new one). The food, as always, Michelin * quality.

Dan Kravitz

4 Likes
2

Dan,
I appreciate your posts on Greek wines; You have a good bit more experience than I do - to my chagrin.
Would you have any suggestions as to books, websites or other resources for learning about Greek wines?
I’m not a beginner in the genre but often feel like one.
Thanks.

3

How about:

Yiannis Karakasis https://www.karakasis.mw/

50 Great Greek Wines https://greatgreekwines.com/

4

I’ve been trying to buy older Greek reds when I find them. This one, about a month ago was a revelation.

1999 Domaine Economou Sitia1/6/2024 - 95 Points

This was a brilliant wine. Pretty light colored with moderate browning. Nose was all sweet red fruits, earth, some light oxidative sherry notes, a hint of green notes, a touch of heat, but it wasnt that distracting. Very light bodied, sweet gorgeous red fruits, date-like fruit, some light earthy/loam, leather, warm spices (ground coriander seed?), light drying tannins, really elegant and really in my wheelhouse. Also a really nice finish. Wish I could find more of these of any vintage in the US.

2 Likes
5

Economou is hands down one of the most interesting producers in Greece. Thrilling wines.

1 Like
6

Could not agree more with this. Might not be for everyone, but the wines are truly unique and pretty damn good if they do it for you.

1 Like
7

Glad to see some interest!

Jim, I’m sorry I don’t have any current references, I just gave away a book by Miles Lambert-Gocs, but it’s over 30 years old.

Taverna Khione carries the Economou wines on a separate list. Eileen’s family is coming here in April to give me a hand with some chores. I will take the whole gang to Taverna Khione and we will drink the Economou wines, I’ll be salivating for the next few months.

I imported Greek wines for a few years, a truly great experience, a commercial disaster, zero regrets.

Santorini Assyrtico has a well-earned reputation, but Assyrtico is being grown in other parts of Greece with some excellent results at better pricing.

Xinomavro has a worthy place in a Holy Trinity, along with PInot Noir and Nebbiolo.
Or, as only I say, “Yowsa Bowsa, gimme some Naoussa!”

A sleeping giant of Greece is Nemea, based on Aghioritiko, The third part of another Holy Trinity, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese the other members.

Greece has over 600 indigenous wine grapes… obviously an undercount.

About 20 years ago, in another forum, I wrote that if I could only eat food from one country, it would be Greece. I’m not saying that about wine, but…

Dan Kravitz

1 Like
8

Dan,
I’d not heard of Taverna Khione so I looked it up -evidently in Brunswick, ME.
Anyway, thanks to you and the others here for the feedback.

9

+1 on Assyrtiko, especially with a bit of age on better examples. I need to learn more about the reds.

10

Where? I’ve been trying some Assyrtikos outside Santorini, but almost invariably the results have been disappointing.

I fell in love with Santorini Assyrtiko with the first sip years ago, but based on my experience, it’s the combination of Assyrtiko and the volcanic soil of Santorini. From what I’ve witnessed, that volcanic soil helps Assyrtiko to retain that piercing acidity and minerality - almost all the Assyrtikos from other parts of Greece (or outside Greece) that I’ve tasted seem to have been picked at noticeably lower level of ripeness to keep the levels of acidity at the same level as in Santorini. However, these Assyrtikos that clock in at 12 to 12,5% ABV are lacking badly in body, depth and fruit compared to their Santorini counterparts (which often clock in at 13,5 to 14% ABV). And typically don’t seem to sport that volcanic minerality which is so pronounced in many Santorini Assyrtikos.

While I normally prefer lower-alc% wines to higher-alc% wines, Assyrtiko is a variety that needs to be picked very ripe to show the full spectrum of varietal characteristics - and that often translates to high ABV. Those earlier-picked low-ABV Assyrtikos are IMO just a shadow of what the variety can be. Although I’m pretty sure that fully ripe Assyrtikos grown in non-volcanic soils are just dull and flabby when they are lacking that acidity and minerality that comes from the volcanic soils.

(Finally, please be consistent with how you transliterate Greek. Go either with Assyrtico and Agiorgitico or Assyrtiko and Agiorgitiko, but don’t code-switch between the variety names. Rubs my brain the wrong way.)

2 Likes
11

No experience with this yet, but opened it a few minutes ago. We’ll see how it goes tonight/ tomorrow!

IMG_5495
IMG_54951920×1920 266 KB

2 Likes
12

Haven’t had that particular bottling, but there’s another superb producer.

1 Like
13

Otto,

Thank you for your comments.

I am a bear of but little brain, especially at my age of 77. Please forgive my spelling inconsistencies. I used to speak six languages (Greek among them), but am now reduced to English (barely), Spanish and French.
I stand by Aghioritiko, complete with ‘h’.

Please try the Assyrtiko from Anatolikos (not a producer from Anatolia) from Thrace, Thrakia or Thracia, or whatever you want to call it. It is not as great as the greatest from Santorini, but it is worthy if not wonderful.

Beset regards,

Dan Kravitz

14

Indeed, that ‘h’ is part of the English transliteration - most other languages pronounce ‘g’ the same way as Greeks do (when they pronounce it - which is not the case in Agiorgitiko!) - whereas English-speakers need that extra ‘h’ to indicate how it should be pronounced, when it is pronounced.

But you’re still missing one ‘g’ (or ‘gh’)! In your case, it would be Aghiorghitiko, not Aghioritiko.

Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll try to keep the name in mind, in case a bottle happened to come my way. Always interested in opportunities to change my views.

15

Not the most promising first glass of this. You can feel the identity of both Xinomavro and Naoussa, but it is lacking acidity and falling a bit flat. We will see how it develops with air, but I am not overly optimistic at this point.

Have you had their Thymiopoulos Ghi kai Uranos Xinomavro? Looks like it is available near me, but their other more expensive Xinomavro are not.

I had these 2 below recently and loved both. Quite the contrast between them, from my understanding due to mostly the terroirs. The Alpha Estate was pretty fresh fruited, while the Kir-Yanni much more rustic, but both excellent, and I will likely have another of each on Greek Easter.

IMG_5275
IMG_52751920×1920 229 KB

IMG_5108
IMG_51081920×1920 270 KB

16

Yup, here’s a note on one: TN: 2013 vs 2016 Barolos (plus other stuff)

Haven’t had any Alpha Estate wines in more than ten years. I remember them being rather modern and polished.

Kir-Yiannis manage to straddle that fine line between modern style and rusticity quite successfully. In most vintages Ramnista is just lovely (haven’t had that 2018, though) and the word on the vine says that 2019 is supposed to be one of the greatest Greek vintages in a long, long time. Looking forward to tasting the 2019 Ramnista!

1 Like
17

Both felt pretty modern. The purity of fruit on the Alpha Estate kept it fresh in spite of that, while the Ramnista, as you said seemed to a fine job of integrating the oak with hits more rustic and herbal side.

I will definitely be seeking out some 2019s then!

18

Probably the vintage or they lost their way. The 2017 was a great QPR and showing plenty of acidity and freshness without lacking in fruit.

Funny to see that they have translated labels for various markets! That 2017 said “Jeunes Vignes”.

Last Alpha I had was the 2014 Malagousia Axia. Modern and polished would apply there as well as lacking any subtlety. It wasn’t a hit with me.

2 Likes
19

I stand corrected, thank you.

1 Like
20

I am a long time fan of Kir-Yianni Ramnista

1 Like