Posts Tagged ‘Greece’
15 in 2012
Santorini 2012, Cuvée No. 15, Hatzidakis Winery ($31.50, 11901189)
100% Assyrtiko from ungrafted vines grown in three organically farmed parcels. Macerated on the skins for 12 hours, the must is then separated, clarified and fermented with indigenous yeasts at 18°C. Matured on the lees in stainless steel tanks for eight months. A small amount of sulphur is added at bottling. 2,700 bottles produced. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Pale gold-bronze in the glass, surely an artifact of the skin-maceration. Complex nose: briny minerals against a backdrop of ash, lemon zest and peach leather. Rich and intense in the mouth. Full-bodied though so alive with acidity you hardly notice. Ripe-sweet on the attack, the densely extracted but otherwise restrained fruit quickly turns dry and ebbs into a sea of crunchy minerals. The saline finish is endless. A wine with every dimension, with the kind of presence, structure, delineation and authority found in white Burgundies costing two and even three times as much. Like most whites of its stature, best served cool (13-14°C), not chilled. Food pairings? Working from the winemaker’s suggestions, seared tuna or pan-roasted, stewed or grilled oysters seem like naturals. Or – surprise! – marinate some single-rib lamb chops in olive oil and lemon juice at room temperature for 30 minutes, then grill over hot charcoal, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.
MWG May 15th tasting (6/6): Cretan legend
Crete 2006, Sitia, Domaine Economou ($42.00, private import, NLA)
100% organically farmed Liatiko from 65- to 75-year-old dry-farned, low-yielding, ungrafted vines grown on the Ziros plateau in eastern Crete. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks. Matured in French oak barrels. Natural except for a minimal shot of sulphur dioxide at bottling. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
A transporting, umami-rich nose of dried cherry, blackberry, sun-baked earth and leather with hints of cocoa and dried orange peel. Against all expectations for such a southern wine, medium-bodied (if the frequent comparisons to Barolos have merit, it’s mainly with respect to the wine’s body and weight). Dry. Lightly structured, with supple tannins and lively acidity. The layers of flavour range from fresh and dried fruit (including fig) to spice, dark minerals, Mediterranean scrub and old wood. The wine’s affirmed presence lasts through the long, savoury finish. At this stage, less structured and ethereal than the 2000 opened a few months ago but still special, even unique. One of the great Mediterranean reds. (Buy again? Imperatively.)
Greek Spring!
Montreal’s Greek Spring climaxes on Wednesday, May 14, with a Printemps Grec dinner at the SAT’s Foodlab in the company of four visiting winemakers: Thymiopoulos, Argyros, Tselepos and Papagiannakos. Tasty and affordable Greek wines by the glass and bottle, a selection of mezze specially prepared by chefs Gabrielse and Marek, the newly opened terrasse complete with outdoor grill and an encouraging weather forecast – what more could you ask for? Oh, all right: rumour has it the hockey game will be shown on a big-screen TV. Now you really have no excuse not to go.
oenopole workshop: picnic wines (4/4)
Italians claim vin santo (aka vino santo) as their own invention. After all, they say, the name means holy wine. That no one can offer a convincing explanation of the wine’s holy connection is conveniently overlooked.
Greeks tell a different story. They claim the name is a contraction of vino di Santorini and that the style is basically copied from the Greek island’s legendary sweet wine that was first brought to the Italian peninsula by seafaring traders.
Despite the similarities – both wines are made from partially dried grapes, usually white – there are plenty of differences: different grape varieties, drying methods, maturation methods, ageing requirements and sweetness levels, with the Greek version almost always being quite sweet. The spelling of the name is also different: Italian vin santo, Greek vinsanto.
Vinsanto 1990, 20 years, Estate Argyros (NLA, though more may be on the way. When last sold at the SAQ, the price was $99 for a 500 ml bottle.)
A blend of Assyrtiko (80%), Aidani (10%) and Athiri (10%) from very old vines, some in excess of 150 years. The grapes are dried in the sun for 12 to 14 days, pressed, fermented with ambient yeasts and aged 15 years in old French oak barrels, two years in new French oak barrels and another three years in the bottle. 14% ABV.
Mahogany with orange glints. Complex nose of raisin, wet earth, nuts, orange zest, graphite and hints of vanilla and old wood. Though unctuous and sweet, not cloying due to the high acidity. The swirl of savoury fig, raisin and caramel flavours seems to last forever. There’s a category of wines with a special quality: you take a sip and time stops, the outside world disappears and, for a moment, only you and the wine exist. This falls into that select group. (Buy again? Would that I could.)
> A transporting delight with Hof Kelsten’s “Jewish biscotti,” a kind of mandelbrodt filled with walnuts and bitter chocolate and topped with a dollop of lemon-zested, sea-salted crème fraîche. The wine picked up the cookie’s walnuts and the cookie brought out the wine’s orange. Perfection.
oenopole workshop: picnic wines (3/4)
The reds were also served with three sandwiches: a Jewish-French fusion of chopped chicken liver and mousse de foies de volaille on raisin bread; open-faced corned beef garnished with red cabbage; and beef salami with chiles on a lobster roll-style hot dog bun. As is always the case at Hof Kelsten, everything – including the corned beef, salami, pickles and ballpark mustard – was made in house.
Achaïa 2012, Kalavryta, Tetramythos ($16.10, 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. Alcoholic fermentation (with native yeasts) and nine months’ maturation are in stainless steel vats. 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.
While other bottles have often been reductive, the wine needing at least a couple of hours in a carafe to right itself, this was sweet from the get-go. Lightly candied red fruit, dark spice, slate, undergrowth and a hint of band-aid. Medium-bodied, supple, juicy and dry, with enough acidity to keep things perky. Not very tannic though a faint astringency and bitterness mark the finish. A savoury vin plaisir and a QPR winner. Drink slightly chilled. (Buy again? Yes.)
> A surprisingly good match for the chicken liver, which brought out the wine’s fruit. Excellent with the salami, unfazed by the smouldering chiles. Serviceable with the corned beef. Based on this sampling, the most picnic fare-friendly of the reds.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes-de-Nuits 2011, Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand ($27.65, 11668698)
100% Pinot Noir from vines averaging 43 years old. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Three days’ cold maceration was followed by 11 days’ alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts, punch-downs and pump-overs. Undergoes malolactic fermentation. Matured 12 months on the lees, 20% in new oak barrels. Blended and filtered before bottling. 12.5% ABV.
Classic red Burg nose: red berries, old wood, beet, minerals, forest floor and hint of new oak. A medium-bodied, silky textured delight with sweet-ripe fruit, supple tannins, bright acidity and darker mineral and wood flavours that linger through the clean finish. As elegant as in earlier vintages but even purer and fresher. (Buy again? Yes.)
> Good with the chicken liver, the berry fruit coming to the fore. Worked with the salami but not with the chiles, which killed the wine. The best of the three wines with the corned beef.
Côtes du Rhône 2011, Daumen ($21.00, 11509857)
Biodynamically and organically farmed Grenache (60%), Syrah (30%) and Mourvèdre (6%) according to the SAQ (earlier vintages have included a dollop of Cinsault) from vines averaging 60 years old. Although marketed under Jean-Paul Daumen’s négociant label, the grapes come from the estate’s own vineyards. Manually harvested, partially destemmed, fermented in temperature-controlled vats with indigenous yeasts and punch-downs for about 20 days, matured approximately 12 months in concrete vats and neutral 50-hl barrels and bottled unfiltered and unfined. Sulphur is added – and then minimally – only just before bottling. 14.5% ABV.
Heady nose of lightly stewed plum, sweet spice, black pepper, leather and graphite. A suave middleweight filled – but not packed – with sweet fruit, enlivening acidity and ripe, round tannins. Pepper and spice perfume the long finish. So fresh and drinkable, the kind of wine the QPR Winner tag was made for. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
> Didn’t sing with the chicken liver. Not bad with the salami, though the chiles did the wine no favours. Very good with the corned beef. Would really shine with grilled red meat – a lamb burger, say.
oenopole workshop: picnic wines (2/4)
The food for the workshop – variations on a sandwich theme – was prepared by Jeff Finkelstein, owner of Boulangerie Hof Kelsten. All the sandwiches were excellent and several were adaptations of ones available at the bakery. Based on this encounter, I’d say Hof Kelsten is not only the source of some of the city’s best bread (something restaurants like Brasserie T!, Joe Beef and Leméac well know) but also one of Montreal’s top sandwich spots.
In this flight, the wines were served with gravlax on a pumpernickel crisp, roasted yellow beet and labneh with fresh pumpernickel crumbs, and chicken salad on soft white sandwich bread.
IGP Peloponnese 2012, Foloi, Domaine Mercouri ($17.85, 12131471)
The wine is named after Mount Foloi, on the highlands around which the grapes grow. The 2012 is a blend of Roditis (85%) and Vigonier (15%). Low-temperature fermentation with selected yeasts. 12.5% ABV.
Mineral, floral (honeysuckle?), melon and a hint of peach stones. Smooth, fruity, even a bit superficial on entry but gaining depth, acid bite and minerality as it goes along. Floral overtones and citrus flavours colour the mid-palate and a faint astringent-like sensation textures the finish. Fragrant, flavourful and above all fresh. Probably not a keeper, this has summer sipper written all over it. (Buy again? Sure.)
> Not a particularly good match with the gravlax, the combo leaving a faint metallic and fish oil taste in the mouth. Much better with the beet and labneh (especially the mildly tangy cheese) and just dandy with the chicken salad.
Sancerre 2012, Domaine Paul Prieur et Fils ($24.50, 11953245)
100% Sauvignon Blanc from grapes grown in the estate’s three terroirs (light limestone, clayey limestone and flint). The vines average 25 to 35 years old. Manually harvested and whole cluster pressed. After 24 to 48 hours’ cold settling, the must is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and then matured on its lees for about seven months. 13% ABV.
Classic nose of gooseberry and gunflint with a soft floral top note. Sits lightly on the palate and yet is quite intense. The fruit’s natural sweetness notwithstanding, the wine is dry. Brisk acidity and a vein of chalky minerals run throughout and are joined by a saline note on the long finish. Remarkable purity and balance. (Buy again? Yes.)
> Good with the gravlax, very good with the beet and labneh and best with the chicken salad, whose celery and apple it picked up. One taster said the wine is a knockout with Crottin de Chavignol, a claim I have no trouble believing.
Santorini 2012, Estate Argyros ($24.60, 11901091)
100% Assyrtiko from ungrafted vines averaging 150 years old. Temperature-controlled fermentation with selected yeasts. Maturated six months, 80% in stainless steel tanks and 20% in 500-litre French oak barrels. 13.2% ABV.
Lemon, quartz, sea spray, distant smoke. Dry and oh, so minerally. The bracing acidity might be biting were it not softened by the fruit extract and sugars and rounded by the barrel. The saline finish lasts forever. “I’d drink this with everything, even on my cornflakes,” said one taster. That sounds about right. (Buy? Oh, yes.)
> Excellent with the gravlax, somewhat to my surprise (salmon and Assyrtiko, who knew?). Good with the beet and labneh, echoing the beet’s minerals. Very good with the chicken salad. The most versatile of the three wines (see “cornflakes” above). Would be killer with oysters on the half shell.
MWG April 17th tasting (4/6): The Greek, the Beauj’ and the Funky
Naoussa 2012, Jeunes vignes de Xinomavro, Domaine Thymiopoulos ($18.70, 12212220)
100% biodynamically farmed Xinomavro from ten-year-old vines. Manually harvested. 80% destemmed, 20% whole cluster pressed. Very gentle pressing. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and no pump-overs. Macerated about one week, then matured nine months in stainless steel tanks. Bottled unfiltered. 13.5% ABV.
A bit stinky on opening, as sometimes happens with this wine. That quickly blew off, leaving a charming nose of slate, candied red berries and spice. Denser than some earlier vintages but still fresh and supple, the fruit pure, the acidity bright and the tannins light and just a little raspy. Dried herbs, spice and minerals add savour. Finishes clean and tangy. Yet another winner from Thymiopoulos. (Buy again? In multiples.)
Morgon 2012, Marcel Lapierre ($30.50, Rézin, NLA)
This was the “nature” bottling available through the private import channel, not the filtered and more heavily sulphured SAQ bottling. 100% organically farmed Gamay from 60-year-old vines. Manually harvested late in the season. Whole-cluster fermentation with indigenous yeasts at low temperatures lasts ten to 20 days. Matured nine months on the fine lees in old Burgundy oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered, unfined and with minimal sulphur. 12.5% ABV.
Cherry, stones, vine sap and faint spice. Silky fruit, bright acidity, supple tannins and that Lapierre trick of being both etherial and intense. Slow-fade finish with lingering scents of minerals, berries and flowers. Classic and delicious. I’m guessing this will peak in two to three years. (Buy again? Yes.)
Vino da tavola 2011, Rosso frizzante, Sottobosco, Ca’ de Noci ($24.00, Ward & associés, NLA)
A blend of organically farmed Lambrusco Grasparossa (30%), Lambrusco di Montericco (30%), Malbo Gentile (20%) and Sgavetta (20%) from ten-year-old vines. Manually harvested. The grapes are macerated for around ten days on their skins and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Refermentation in the bottle (to produce the sparkle) is also natural. Unfiltered and unfined. 11% ABV.
Popped and poured. The wildly funky nose elicited all kinds of reactions, including the descriptor fetid. The miasma lifted some as the wine breathed, allowing hints of slate and red and black fruit to emerge. (A taster who had previously encountered the wine said ours was an unusually stinky bottle.) In the mouth, it’s bone dry, tart and astringent. The light fizz adds a mild creaminess that polishes, if only a little, the coarse texture. Surprisingly mouth-filling fruit and earthy flavours last well into the finish. Despite everything, good enough to make you think a cleaner bottle might have a genuine rustic appeal. (Buy again? With my fingers crossed.)
The common thread in this flight was wines that would work with charcuterie. Our cured meats came in the form of duck prosciutto and pork and duck rillettes from Pork Futures and a gifted dry sausage whose provenance I don’t recall. While all three wines proved up to the task, I found the Naoussa best with the prosciutto, the Morgon best with the fatty, mild rillettes and the Sottobosco best with the prosciutto and the dark flavoured sausage.
MWG March 20th tasting (5/7): Die, preconceptions, die!
Lison Pramaggiore 2011, Refosco, Impronta del Fondatore, Santa Margherita ($19.05, 12208538)
100% Refosco. Macerated and fermented on the skins in stainless steel tanks for ten days at 28°C with regular pump-overs for about ten days. After malolactic fermentation, part of the wine is racked into French oak barriques, while the rest is matured in stainless steel. The two batches are blended just before bottling. 14% ABV.
Sweaty candied plum, slate, spice and hints of flowers (peony?), animale and sawed wood. Medium- to full-bodied. Dry but fruity with a sappy greenish overtone. The soft, lightly raspy tannins and relatively low acidity give the wine a velour-like texture that lasts well into the faintly bitter finish. Not bad but one-dimensional and a bit heavy. (Buy again? Nah.)
IGP Letrini 2009, Domaine Mercouri ($22.00, 11885537)
Located on the western coast of the Peloponnese peninsula near the village of Korakochori, the estate is the second oldest modern-day producer in Greece (after Boutari). This is a blend of sustainably farmed Refosco (80%) and Mavrodaphne (20%); the Refosco vines were first brought to the estate from Friuli in the 19th century. Fermented with neutral yeasts in stainless steel vats. Undergoes malolactic fermentation. Matured 10 to 12 months in French oak barrels, 40% new. 13.5% ABV.
Red and black fruit, cedar, graphite, tire. Silkier, brighter and fleeter than the Lison Pramaggiore. The fruit is ripe but restrained, structured by dark minerals and fine tannins and sweetened by a whisper of oak. The sustained finish has an appetizing bitter note. Fundamentally, a savoury wine though not at the expense of freshness. Elegant and digeste, far more so than its flightmate. Even better than the enjoyable 2008. (Buy again? Done!)
Before the bottles were unveiled, I pegged the chewy, unrefreshing wine as the Greek and the elegant, food-friendly wine as the Italian. Shows what I know. Preconceptions die hard.
Hats off to Hatzidakis
A native of Crete who worked for Boutari, Haridimos Hatzidakis founded his eponymous estate in 1996, starting with vines owned by his wife’s family. The vineyards surrounding the canava are certified organic, a rare occurrence on the island, and the vines are trained into the traditional basket or nest shape, which offers some protection from the wind and sun and helps conserve precious moisture. Like all vines on phylloxera-free Santorini, they are ungrafted.
Santorini 2012, Assyrtiko, Domaine Hatzidakis ($23.55, 11901171)
100% Assyrtiko. No maceration. After clarification, the must is fermented at 18ºC with indigenous yeasts. Matured on the lees for 40 days. Aged in stainless steal tanks. Lightly filtered and dosed with sulphur dioxide before bottling. 52,000 bottles made. 13.5% ABV. This is the estate’s entry-level bottling. For the glorious higher-end cuvées, keep an eye on oenopole‘s website.
Chalk and quartz sand, lemon peel, a faint herby/resinous note and eventually some peach. Quite weighty in the mouth yet fluid, like rainwater. Austere but intense: the extract — stuffing more than fruit — holds the coursing acidity in check, then fades, leaving a long-lingering matrix of minerals, lemon pith, powdered honey and sea salt. Carafe this 20 minutes before serving and don’t make the mistake of drinking it overly chilled. Great as an aperitif with olives, a natural with grilled fish and a knockout with oysters on the half shell. (Buy again? Try and stop me.)
Unorthodox Greek
I originally intended to pair this wine with a roasted prime rib of beef but, after scoring a taste in an SAQ outlet, opted instead for pan-roasted lamb shoulder, a near perfect match. The recipe came from Marcella Hazan and, to mark her passing earlier today, I’ve included it after the jump.
Nemea 2005, Réserve, Parparoussis ($34.50, 11900493)
100% Agiorgitiko. Manually harvested. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks typically lasts 20 days with up to two weeks’ maceration. Matured in 70% new French oak barrels for 12 months. 13% ABV.
Fascinating, multifaceted bouquet of pomegranate, dried cherry, turned earth, herbs (tarragon?), blood and nut skins. The fruit – sour cherry, above all – is ripe and present but, contrary to expectations, far from dominant. In fact the wine is medium-bodied, supple and quite dry, not to mention savoury, bright with acidity, structured by fine resolved tannins and nuanced by overtones of underbrush and a coppery tang. A caramel thread runs throughout and is joined by faint cocoa husks on the long finish. Surprising in its exoticism but also in its restraint and elegance. Parparoussis studied wine-making in Dijon and, while you wouldn’t mistake this wine for a Burgundy, you can definitely see the influence. (Buy again? Yes.)
It is increasingly clear that the Greek wine scene is one of the most dynamic and exciting on the planet.
Brett happens 