Posts Tagged ‘Greece’
Black is back
Achaïa 2014, Kalavryta, Tetramythos ($16.85, 11885457)
The estate is located in Achaea, on the Gulf of Corinth in the northern Peloponnese. This wine is made using the free-run juice from organically farmed Black of Kalavryta (Μαύρο Καλαβρυτινό) grapes, an indigenous variety once widely grown in the area but now nearly extinct (Tetramythos is reportedly the only remaining producer). Alcoholic fermentation (with indigenous yeasts) and nine months’ maturation are in stainless steel vats. Unusually for a red wine, malolactic fermentation is prevented. Use of sulphur dioxide is kept to a bare minimum. The wine is unfined but coarsely filtered before bottling. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Popped and poured. Subdued nose of sour cherry, black olives, dark spice and an old leather jacket splotched with dried earth. In the mouth, it’s light- to medium-bodied and bone dry. Here the clean fruit tends more to red plum and is infused with slate and iron. Acidity is present but not biting. A fine tannic astringency dries and textures the finish with its black pepper and red meat (iron again) notes. Half the bottle was transferred into an actual half-bottle, recorked and stuck in the fridge. Drunk two days later, the wine showed a tad sweeter, rounder and, if anything, tastier. In other words, a few hours’ carafing might not be a bad idea. A decent match for chicken braised with white wine, rosemary and garlic; the winery’s suggested pairing of fish baked in tomato sauce intrigues. (Buy again? For sure.)
Two weighty whites
Soave Classico 2012, La Froscà, Gini ($26.80, 12132107)
Organically farmed Garganega from 57-year-old vines. The manually harvested grapes are soft-pressed and the must is cold-macerated on the skins. Temperature-controlled alcoholic fermentation is in a mix of stainless steel and neutral French oak casks. Does not undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured on the lees for at least eight months, partly in stainless steel tanks, partly in 228-litre “seasoned” oak barrels. Sulphur is added only at bottling. Reducing sugar: 3.4 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Bambara Selection.
Peach, lemon, quince, honey and fresh-cut hay make for a fairly appealing nose. In the mouth, however, it’s a different story. Viscous, extracted, dry, alcoholic and bitter on the finish. The relatively low acidity and lack of prominent minerals mean the wine tastes flat. Very different from the wine sampled a couple of months earlier. Even a Bambara employee who was present didn’t recognize it. Probably an off bottle, then. (Buy again? Based on this bottle, no. Based on the earlier bottle, absolutely. You pays your money and you takes your chances…)
Robola de Céphalonie 2014, Vino di Sasso, Domaine Sclavos ($25.20, 12485877)
First time at the SAQ. 100% Robola from organically farmed, ungrafted old vines grown on the Ionian island of Cephalonia. Vino di sasso means “wine of stone,” a reference to the island’s rocky cliffs and outcrops. The manually harvested grapes are directly pressed. The must is fermented at low temperatures with indigenous yeasts and matured eight months on the lees. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Bottled unfiltered, unfined and with only a tiny squirt of sulphur dioxide. Reducing sugar: 3.9 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Wafting nose of quartz, seashells, lemon and fresh sweat with faint background herbs. Medium-bodied yet possessed of a certain fruity heft, though by no means an exuberantly fruity wine. A rich vein of minerals runs throughout and lends a salty tang to the long, bitter-edged finish. Tasty enough, especially at table alongside a sea bass, but maybe lacking the last bit of éclat found in the 2013. (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG November 12th tasting: flight 2 of 6
Le sacre du printemps… à la grècque
Our friends at oenopole and SAT’s Foodlab are again joining forces to celebrate the arrival of spring and of winemakers from five of Greece’s top domaines: Argyros, Mercouri, Papagiannakos, Tetramythos and Tselepos. The city’s top terrasse will be open, the grill will be blazing, wines from the featured estates will be available by the glass and bottle at unbeatable prices and the menu is sure to please (loukaniko, lentil soup, lamb burger, whole grilled fish, horta, grilled octopus, sauteed nordic shrimp and roasted potatoes, last I heard). What’s more, the forecast couldn’t be better: sunny with a high of 25°C.
PRINTEMPS GREC
Thursday, May 7, from 6 p.m. on
SAT Foodlab
1201 St. Laurent Blvd., 3rd Floor
MWG February 18th tasting: Noddities
The idea for this eclectic flight? Easy-drinking reds, all new arrivals, made from off-the-beaten-path grape varieties. New + oddity = noddity.
IGT Maremma Toscana 2013, Ciliegiolo, Azienda Il Grillesino ($17.85, 12280695)
100% Ciliegiolo from vines grown in stony clay-limestone soil near the Tuscan coast. The grapes were fermented in temperature-controlled tanks for 15 days. Matured for six months. Sees no oak. Bottled unfiltered in the spring following the vintage. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Mark Anthony Brands.
Spice, cherry, black raspberry, lingonberry, hints of chocolate, caramel and, oddly, “white vinegar” (quoting another taster). Fruity, supple and light though gaining a little weight as it moves through the mouth. Tart acidity keeps things refreshing, lightly raspy tannins add texture and a bit of backbone. Simple but quaffable, especially if served lightly chilled and with food. I wish it were $4 or $5 cheaper. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Valle de la Orortava 2013, 7 Fuentes, Soagranorte ($22.10, 12475425)
A 90-10 blend of Listán Negro and Tintilia (which, despite claims that it’s Grenache, Mourvèdre or Molise’s Tintilia, appears to be none other than the Jura’s Trousseau aka Bastardo) from ungrafted vines between ten and 100 years old grown in various parcels at altitudes ranging from 400 to 650 m on Tenerife. The grapes from each vineyard were vinified separately. Manually harvested in early September. Alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts and manual punch-downs was in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Sixty percent of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation and eight months’ maturation in 5,700-litre concrete tanks while the remainder was matured in 500-litre French oak casks. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
The bottle at the tasting was irredeemably bretty, reeking of barnyard. The staff at my neighbourhood SAQ reported the same of the bottle they opened. A bottle enjoyed last weekend was funky at first but clean-smelling after a couple of hours in a carafe. Unusual nose of sandalwood, sawdust and spice with whiffs of doner and plum. Supple, fluid and medium-bodied, ripe and fruit-forward but not a bomb. Very dry, with soft, dusty tannins, glowing acidity and a dark mineral underlay. A faint, alum-like astringency marks the saline finish. Unusual, interesting and, above all, drinkable. Food pairing? Well-done red meat, maybe one of those doners. (Buy again? Yes.)
IGP Ismaros 2010, Maronia, Tsantali ($13.00, 12460354)
100% Mavroudi (aka Mavrud) grown in estate-owned vineyards around Maroneia. Alcoholic fermentation lasts eight to ten days, after which the wine is left on the grape skins for another two or three days. After pressing, it undergoes malolactic fermentation and then is transferred to new 300-litre French oak barrels for eight months’ maturation. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Amphora.
Jammy plum, sweet spice, sawed wood and “cherry Vicks.” Medium- to full-bodied. The big but not lumbering fruit is structured by soft acidity and round tannins. An undercurrent of tar adds an appealing earthiness. Black pepper and vanilla-caramel colour the finish. Broader than it is deep but, at $13, who’s complaining? A bottle I opened a few days before the tasting seemed lighter and less fruit-driven. Either way, it’s a QPR winner. (Buy again? Sure.)
(Flight: 3/5)
Convincingly international
PGI Pangeon 2013, Assyrtiko/Sauvignon, Ktima Biblia Chora ($22.85, 11901138)
The winery and its 118 acres of vineyards sit on the southern slopes of Mount Pangeon, near Kavala, in eastern Macedonia. This is a 60-40 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Assyrtiko. Manually harvested. Cold-soaked for 12 hours, then pressed and fermented at low temperatures in stianless steel tanks. 13% ABV per SAQ.com, 14.5% per the label (I believe the label). 220,000 bottles made. Quebec agent: Cava Spiliadis (Le Maître de Chai).
Expressive nose in which the characteristic aromas of the component varieties intertwine, the Sauvignon contributing grass, grapefruit, cat pee and limestone, the Assyrtiko peach, lemon, honey, pumice and a hint of sea spray. Intense and vibrant in the mouth – fruity but dry, extracted but a middleweight. Any fat is instantly shredded by sabre-like acidity and buried by rocky minerals. On first sip you wonder whether the wine could use more depth and length; on subsequent sips, you don’t give it a second thought. The alcohol flares a little on the bitter-edged finish, especially as the wine warms, so best drunk nicely chilled. International in style? Yes but convincingly so. Easily the best vintage of this wine I’ve tasted. What to drink it with? Olives and mezze, simply prepared seafood, goat cheese. (Buy again? Sure.)
Salon VIP 2014: Xinomavro Nature
Still at the oenopole booth, we next tasted one of the standouts at this year’s salon.
Naoussa 2013, Xinomavro Nature, Thymiopoulos Vineyards ($62.75/1500 ml, private import, 6 bottles/case)
100% biodynamically farmed Xinomavro. The manually harvested grapes are destemmed, fermented with indigenous yeasts and macerated 18 days in stainless steel tanks and large barrels. Maturation lasts six months and takes place in 500- to 600-litre barrels. Bottled unfiltered, unfined and with no added sulphur. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
An intriguing mix of fresh and stewed red fruit, oyster bed and distant garrigue. Medium-bodied but mouth-filling, juicy but dry. The tart acidity, lithe tannins and dusty minerals work like a foil for the vibrant, glowing fruit. There’s a real energy here that just lights up your palate. Not remarkably long but lip-smacking while it lasts. The thought of drinking this with grilled stuff – meat, sausages and vegetables – had our mouths watering. (Buy again? Yes, yes, yes.)
Thymiopoulos’s Jeunes vignes de xinomavro bottling has become a stealth hit at the SAQ and the Terre et Ciel bottling has knocked the socks off more than one drinker, including critics. This Xinomavro Nature confirms that he’s redefining notions of what the grape can achieve.
Unfortunately, the 750 ml bottles are sold out and only a few magnums remain. Here’s hoping for a second shipment!
MWG October 2nd tasting: Moschofilero, still and sparkling
The tasting began with a challenge. As usual, the wines were served double-blind, with the bottles hidden in bags and no information on their provenance provided. For the first flight, the tasters were told only that the two wines had all kinds of connections. Could they deduce what the connections were?
Mantinia 2013, Moschofilero, Domaine Tselepos ($19.00, 11097485)
100% Moschofilero. The grapes are macerated eight hours at 10°C, then pneumatically pressed. Fermentation with selected yeasts and in stainless steel vats is at 12°C and lasts 20 days with regular stirring. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Aromatic nose: citrus and chalk along with white spice and orange blossom aromas that seem to place it midway between a Muscat and a Gewürztraminer. In the mouth, it’s clean and dry with a faint spritzy tingle. The forward fruit (grapefruit and peach) is held in check by bright acidity and threads of pith-like bitterness and saline minerality. A floral note perfumes the finish. More vivacious than deep (not that there’s anything wrong with that), this QPR winner makes a fine aperitif and is also a natural with Ottolenghi-esque vegetable salads and simple seafood dishes flavoured with aromatics like basil and fresh ginger. (Buy again? Yes.)
Arkadia NV, Amalia Brut, Méthode traditionnelle, Domaine Tselepos ($25.35, 11901103)
The world’s first naturally sparkling Moschofilero. The grapes are picked when their sugar is low and acidity high. Made using the traditional method. First fermentation is in stainless steel tanks and lasts 12 months. The wine is then bottled with several grams of rock sugar and closed with a crown cap. The sugar ferments, producing the carbon dioxide gas that gives the wine its sparkle. At the end of this second fermentation, the bottles are hand-riddled, disgorged and closed with cork stoppers. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Discreet nose: subtle fruit, faint minerals (“dried plaster” noted one taster) and hints of mead and yeasty ginger beer. Clean and dry with a fine bead. The fruit is greener and leaner than the still wine’s, tending more to lemon. The minerality is more pronounced and the acidity zingier. The grape’s intrinsic floral and spice aromas emerge mainly on the finish and even then are subdued. Comparisons with its sibling aside, this crisp and refreshing wine is a pleasure to drink. Can hold its own against any similarly priced sparkler on the market. (Buy again? Yes.)
A few tasters guessed that the wines were made by the same producer – no surprise there. One or two hesitatingly ventured that they might be made from the same grapes. A request to identify the country and region of origin elicited numerous replies, Alsace being the most common, but no one guessed Greece. Even after the bottles were unveiled, the connections between the wines qua wine were not particularly obvious, were ones you had to look for to draw. Still, just about everyone around the table enjoyed both wines, said they were surprising and considered them good buys.
(Flight: 1/6)
A near perfect everyday red
IGP Peloponnese 2012, Agiorgitiko, Domaine Tetramythos ($16.15, 12178957)
100% organically farmed Agiorgitiko. The grapes are fully destemmed, then macerated and fermented with indigenous yeasts for 15 days in stainless steel tanks. Matured five months in 5,000-litre barrels. Unfiltered and unfined. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Fresh nose of plum and blackberry with hints of black pepper, clove, old wood and earth. In the mouth, it’s a silky textured middleweight. The supple fruit shows a natural sweetness but zingy acidity and raspy tannins soon kick in while darker flavours and a thread of bitter astringency emerge and last well into the savoury, dry finish. Natural – not industrial – tasting, in contrast to so many inexpensive wines. Not profound but good, clean fun and undoubtedly one of the better reds at the price point. Its food-pairing talent is obvious. Went well with a simple stew of beef, tomatoes and black olives and beat a twice-the-price Chianti Classico as a match for Venetian-style calf’s liver. Would also have worked with just about any Greek dish involving meat (moussaka, souvlaki, braised lamb), not to mention similar fare from all around the Mediterranean. In other words, a near perfect everyday red. Why, then, is it available in so few outlets? (Buy again? Yes.)
Aïoli monsters, unite!
While the weather forecast may not be particularly Provençal, you can be sure the food, wines and atmosphere will be when the Foodlab holds its annual aïoli monstre tomorrow. The garlic-rich menu features vegetables from Birri and rosés from oenopole stalwarts Gros’Noré, Breton and Thymiopoulos. Be there or be square!
Aïoli monstre par oenopole
Thursday, August 14, 2014, from 5 p.m. on
SAT Foodlab
1201 St. Lawrence Boulevard, 3rd floor
Wild thing?
A couple of weeks ago, the Pork Futures guys and I got together for an evening of baby sitting and burger grilling. Among the wines popped and poured was a bottle N had brought back from a recent trip to Greece. It left us scratching our heads. You’ll find our comments below.
Santorini 2012, Assyrtiko by Gaia – Wild Ferment, Gaia Wines (€13.00 in Athens)
100% Assyrtiko from an upland vineyard reputed to produce grapes more aromatic than those from other parts of the island. After pressing, the must is macerated on the skins for 12 hours at 10°C. About half is then transferred to stainless steel tanks and half to new 225-litre barrels (40% French oak, 40% American oak, 10% acacia). Fermentation with ambient yeasts is spontaneous; the tank batch ferments at 16 to 18°C, the barrel batches at 26 to 28°C. After fermentation is complete, selected tanks and barrels are blended and bottled. 13% ABV.
N: “Disjointed at first (website says to decant it for 1/2 hour). Makes no sense why one would oak Assyrtiko. Slightly narrow and linear (also a bit surprising for a wild yeast ferment – maybe the oak tramps it down). Much more agreeable with the potato salad and even the burger.” (Speaking of that potato salad, which truly did make a fine pairing, you’ll find the recipe after the jump.)
A: “Bizarre. Smelled funny. Not banana or butter but something vaguely off-putting. There’s a sourness to the nose, a bit like the drain of my sink. And the oak came off as cheesy. In the mouth, the wine had a unique texture – viscous. Quite nice with food though.”
Me: Ashy nose. Extract-rich but balanced. Honeyed but dry. Unexpected cantaloupe at the back of the palate. Minerals mainly take the form of salinity on the finish. Subdued acidity for a Santorini Assyrtiko. The oak isn’t heavy but seems beside the point. Less crystalline, rounder, smoother, softer-focused and, paradoxically, tamer than my go-to Santorinis like the Hatzidakis. On its own terms, not bad. But not what I’m looking for in an Assyrtiko.
Gaia is represented in Quebec by Le Marchand de Vin. At the Printemps grec tasting in May, one of the agency’s sales reps was pouring the 2013 vintage of the wine, which he implied may be showing up at the SAQ for around $24. My sketchy note reads: “Nose: Mineral, a bit farty, lemon, white grapefruit. Mouth: Clean and snappy. Fruit and white flowers on finish. Only a bit of an acid bite. The wood is discreet. ‘Sweet’ up front but very dry on the finish. Buy again? Maybe.”
Brett happens 