The estate and masterful Bordeaux blends of Domaine Porto Carras (Halkidiki, Greece)

I was unfamiliar with Domaine Porto Carras prior to my visit there as a member of a group sponsored by The Wines of North Greece. That shortcoming was quickly addressed by the quality of the people, facilities, and the Chateau Porto Carras wine. I became a big fan.

Domaine Porto Carras is located on the western side of the middle finger (Sithonia Municipality) of peninsular Halkidiki which is, itself, a part of Greek Macedonia. The maps below show the placement of Domaine Porto Carras within the broader geographical context.

Macedonia Region within Greece (inset) and Halkidiki within
Macedonia. Source: askelena.com

Domaine Porto Carras location in Sithonia on
the Halkidiki Peninsula

The top level wines in the Greek appellation system are wines designated PDO and the Porto Carras vineyards on the slopes of Mt. Meliton constitute a single-domaine PDO called Slopes of Meliton. The characteristics of that PDO are displayed in the figure below. The Domaine also makes wines that are classed as PGI Sithonia, an appellation which encompasses grapes grown anywhere on the Sithonia peninsula, and PGI Halkidiki which encompasses grapes grown anywhere in that geographic area.

At 4500 acres Domaine Porto Carras is the largest organic vineyard in Greece.

Originally purchased by Mr Carras in 1963, 27 ha were eventually planted to vine in 1967 after careful planning and testing of vineyard sites by professors from Thessaloniki School of Agronomy and Athens Vine and Wine Institute. The post-experimentation design had white varieties planted close to the sea while red varieties were planted at higher elevations. The famed Bordeaux Oenologist Emile Peynaud collaborated with the estate from 1970 to 1975.

Stergios with Robin Gheesling (right) and Olga Mosina

After our tour of the Slopes of Meliton we got back into the transporter and made our way to the Limnio Vineyard. The vineyard is separated into two 5-ha plots and the grapes are used both for a standalone varietal and as a component in a Bordeaux-style blend. The characteristics of this ancient variety are explored here.

After a brief tour of the winery led by Oenologist Eyfrossyni Drossou, we returned to Melissanthi Hall to taste the wines of the Domaine.

Stainless steel tanks (Courtesy Domaine Porto Carras)

Of the white wines tasted, I was pleasantly surprised by the Assyrtiko. Of the reds, while the Magnus Baccata merits attention, it was the Chateau Porto Carras Bordeaux blends that blew me away with spice, tobacco, cedar, dark chocolate, and vanilla notes accompanying a red-fruit character, velvety feel, and lengthy finish. The 1993 was just an evolved version of the 2006. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Limnio and is aged in French oak for 24 months and then for an additional year in bottle.

After the tour and tasting we travelled to the Porto Carras Grand Resort and had dinner at one of the restaurants.

Orlando Tasting

I was so impressed with this wine that I had two cases of older vintages shipped back to the US so that I could hold a tasting with a group of friends. The panelists pulled together for the event were as follows:

• John Siudut, Proprietor, Vintage Vino
• Andres Montoya, (then) Proprietor, The Wine Barn
• Jill Kathyrn Davis, Former Head Sommelier Capa Grill at the Four Seasons and Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
• Ron Siegel, Collector
• Juan Valencia, former Assistant General Manager and Sommelier at the former Norman's at the Ritz Grande Lakes.

The Porto Carras wines were tasted in three flights: Flight 1 -- 2006, 1990, 1993, and 1989; Flight 2 -- 1995, 2001, 1994, 1985; and Flight 3 -- 1981.

Flight 1:

2006 - Juan saw this as young and fresh. It exhibited an explosion of red fruit flavor with a slight barnyard funk. Taut; and destined for greatness. Andres described this wine as exhibiting petrol, smoke, and cherry and a nice finish. It reminded him of a Sangiovese-based Tuscan blend. For John, "one cannot forget the 2006 magnum which I thought was the best right out of the gate but as the other wines settled in the glass it got slightly outpaced."

1990 - For Juan, this wine was muted and starting to fade. He thought it "might be past the zenith of opportunity in its lifespan." Andres had similar sentiments: "Mint and eucalyptus with little fruit left on the nose or in mouth. Over the hill."

1993 - Ron saw this wine as very Bordeaux-like, displaying beautiful red berry fruits with floral notes and baking spices. Elegant and balanced on the finish with good structure. Juan saw tar, canned vegetables, smoke, and compost, all with a dash of Brett. A hermit of a wine, he said, with stories to tell. Andres: "My #1 wine of the tasting. Glorious nose of black currant, baking spice, black tea, anise, and peanut oil. Excellent mouthfeel, high acid. Very left-bank Bordeaux-like. Reminded me of a Pichon-Lalande on the nose and the finish." For John, this wine exhibited bold fruit and incredible length.

1989- Muted on the nose, wet earth and moss on the palate. Very little character (Juan). Andres agreed: "Faint smell of black tea and leather. Short finish. Over the hill."

Flight 2:

1995 - For Juan this was "... delicious. So alive in every way; fruit, acid, tannin, everything. All the greatness of Bordeaux with a very original personality. My winner of the flight." 

Andres was on another continent: "Green bean, eucalyptus, and 'stemmy' aromatics. Smells underripe. Short finish."

2001 - Juan: "Wow. A little wilder than the other vintages we had so far. More of a farmhouse character of dried hay, Brett, and a basket of dried red fruit. Vibrant acidity lifting all the dimensions of flavor. Second favorite of the flight." 

In this case, Andres agreed: "My #2 (tie) pick - Excellent nose, black plum, licorice, grilled herbs, and smoke. Showing very fresh and still youthful. Good acid and a long finish." 

For John this wine was almost as good as the 1993. 

For Ron, similar to the 1993, this wine was very Bordeaux-like, displaying beautiful red berry fruits with floral notes and baking spices. Elegant and balanced on the finish with good structure.

1994 - Juan: "Comments all around were comparing this wine to Penfolds Grange. I am not as versed, but I got a very savory character out of this vintage. Like salted and cured meat, spice, herb. Umami." For Andres, "my #2 (tie) pick - Excellent. Baking spice, tar, menthol, black currants and tanned leather. Reminds me of a Penfolds Grange from the early 90's. Seamless finish. Complete." 

John saw this wine as the showstopper and he would love to have it paired with an entree.

1985 - First one was corked so I opened another. According to Juan, the second one was much better, but still slightly flawed. A meditative wine. The most thought provoking of the night.

For Andres, the second bottle showed dried herbs, black tea, dusty tannins, and its age. 

Flight 3:

1981- Juan: "Showing very well. Still fresh for its age. Elegant and wrinkled. I tried to listen to its story as I continue to learn the language of old wine." 

Andres declined to cosign Juan's assessment. From his perspective the wine was showing no signs of life.

The wines which garnered the most acclaim were the 1993, 1994, 2001, and 2006. And this mirrors what I had found with two of these wines that I had tasted while at the estate. And in the case of the 1993 and 2006, this mirrored what I had found when I tasted those wines at the estate. At its best this is a Bordeaux blend which is world class. When the purchase price is factored in, it becomes even more attractive. 

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The historic Porto Carras Grand Resort, which, in addition to Domaine Porto Carras, includes hotels, a marina, a housing development, and an 18-hole golf course, was built initially by Yiannis Carras and then acquired in 1999 by the Stengos Family's Technical Olympic Group. Yliana Stengos managed Domaine Porto Carras and I was pleased to call her a friend. The resort was sold to Belterra Investment earlier this year and the impacts of the sale on the vineyard is still to be determined. I reached out to the new organization earlier in the year to gain their participation on one of my Instagram Live Chats but they declined the invitation.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Tasting of selected Greek wines: The reds

My most recent post described a tasting that I hosted in Orlando for area Sommeliers, wine retailers, and collectors and, specifically, focused on the sparkling and white wines included therein. Based on the feedback of a subset of the attendees, the Karanika Brut Cuvees, the Domaine Zafeirakis Malagousia 2015, and the Domaine Costa Lazaridis Semillon 2014 were the most well-regarded of the wines tasted up to that point. This post will cover the red wines tasted on that day: the 2006 and 1999 Domaine Economou Sitia and several vintages of Domaine Porto Carras' Chateau Porto Carras,

As was the case for the previous posts, I have solicited feedback from selected participants and use their voices to report on the tasting. The panelists utilized thusly are:

• John Siudut, Proprietor, Vintage Vino
• Andres Montoya, Proprietor, The Wine Barn
• Jill Kathyrn Davis, Former Head Sommelier Capa Grill at the Four Seasons and Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
• Ron Siegel, Collector
• Juan Valencia, Assistant General Manager and Sommelier Norman's at the Ritz Grande Lakes.

Domaine Economou Flight
I encountered this wine for the first time when I was in Athens for the 4th Anniversary Winelovers reunion. The 2006 was served as a part of a dinner we were having at Vintage Wine Bar and Bistro but the owner, Panos Kyriazis, mentioned to me that the recently released 1999 was even better. That sounded like a dare so I bit and purchased a bottle. It was good. So good that I went back the following evening in order to taste this wine again. Once I got back to the US, I sought out the wine and stocked both the 2006 and the 1999 in my cellar.

The figure below provides some background on the estate and its operating environment.

The panelists shared my view that this producer is doing an excellent job and that the 1999 vintage was the better of the two.

John thought that the Domaine Economou Flight was surprising considering the release dates of the wines. He really enjoyed the brooding power of the 2006 and the distinct power and structure of the 1999 which matured in the glass and was the better wine. These wines reminded Jill of Valpolicella in that they had a raisinated note with high acid.

Juan found the 2006 to be slightly oxidative and raisinated up front. Sweet and sour cherries appeared on the palate shortly thereafter. Supple tannins. Andres saw this wine as having "warm scents of garrigue, smoke, tar, and rose petal," the latter of which could be associated with Nebbiolo from warmer sites. "In the mouth it shows lead pencil, smoked plum, anise and currants, which make it seem closer to Cabernet on the finish."

The Economou 1999, according to Andres, had a beautiful nose of violets, grilled herbs, and red plum (it reminded him of Nerello Mascalese), shows high acidity, and finishes with intensity. This vintage is showing very well. Juan: "Wow. Muscular for its age. Very well structured in terms of acid, and tannin. Fruit was dried and fresh simultaneously."

Chateau Porto Carras Flights
I have described the Domaine Porto Carras environment in a prior post.

The Porto Carras was tasted in three flights: Flight 1 -- 2006, 1990, 1993, and 1989; flight 2 -- 1995, 2001, 1994, 1985; flight 3 -- 1981.

Ron said the dog ate his homework so he made an overall assessment. "As noted at the tasting I thought the 1993 and 2001 of your vertical stood out for me. Both were very Bordeaux-like and displayed beautiful red berry fruits with floral notes and baking spices. Elegant and balanced on the finish with good structure."

John thought that Domaine Porto Carras flights were the obvious highlight with "an amazing mix of vintages and flavors."  His favorites included the 1993 with its bold fruit and incredible length.  "The 2001 was nearly as good but the showstopper was the 1994, awash in mint and black fruit flavors ..." He would love a chance to taste this paired with an entree dish.  "And one cannot forget the 2006 magnum which I thought was the best right out of the gate but as the other wines settled in the glass it got slightly outpaced."

Juan's assessment of the flights were as follows:

Flight 1:

2006 - Young and fresh. Explosion of red fruit flavor with a slight barnyard funk. Taut and destined for greatness.

1990 - Muted and starting to fade. Might be past the zenith of opportunity in its lifespan.

1993 - Tar, canned vegetables, smoke, compost, all with a dash of brett. A hermit of a wine with stories to tell.

1989- Muted on the nose, wet earth and moss on the palate. Very little character.

Flight 2:

1995 - Delicious. So alive in every way; fruit, acid, tannin, everything. All the greatness of Bordeaux with a very original personality. My winner of the flight.

2001 - Wow. A little wilder than the other vintages we had so far. More of a farmhouse character of dried hay, brett, and basket of dried red fruit. Vibrant acidity lifting all the dimensions of flavor. Second favorite of the flight.

1994 - Comments all around were comparing to Grange. I am not as versed, but I got a very savory character out of this vintage. Like salted and cured meat, spice, herb. Umami.

1985 - First one was corked. Second one was much better, but still slightly flawed in my opinion. A meditative wine. The most thought provoking of the night.

Flight 3:

1981- Showing very well. Still fresh for its age. Elegant and wrinkled. I tried to listen to its story but I’m still learning the language of old wine.  

Andres' assessment of the flights:

Flight 1:

2006 - Petrol, smoke, cherry. Nice finish, reminds me of a Sangiovese-based Tuscan blend. 

1990 - Mint, eucalyptus, little fruit left on the nose or in mouth. Over the hill.

1993 - My #1 Wine of the tasting. Glorious nose of black currant, baking spice, black tea, anise, and peanut oil. Excellent mouthfeel, high acid. Very left bank Bordeaux-like! Reminded me of a Pichon-Lalande on the nose and the finish.

1989 - Faint smell of black tea and leather. Short finish. Over the hill.

Flight 2:

1995 - Green bean, eucalyptus, and "stemmy" aromatics. Smells underripe. Short finish.

2001 - My #2 (tie) pick - Excellent nose, black plum, licorice, grilled herbs, and smoke. Showing very fresh and still youthful, good acid, long finish.

1994 - My #2 (tie) pick - Excellent. Baking spice, tar, menthol, black currants and tanned leather. Reminds me of a Penfolds Grange from the early 90's. Seamless finish. Very complete. 

1985 - First bottle corked. Second bottle showed dried herbs, black tea and dusty tannins. Showing its age. 

1981 - Not showing any signs of life. 

The wines which garnered the most acclaim were the 1993, 1994, 2001, and 2006. And this mirrors what I had found with two of these wines that I had tasted while at the estate. At the time I had stated: "it was the Bordeaux blends that blew me away with spice, tobacco, cedar, dark chocolate, and vanilla notes accompanying a red-fruit character, velvety feel, and lengthy finish. The 1993 was just an evolved version of the 2006."

It is not clear to me what causes the variation in the vintages given the relatively even climatic conditions but methinks that the estate may have some storage issues because of the varying conditions of the bottles delivered to me. At its best this is a Bordeaux blend which is world class. When the purchase price is factored in, it becomes even more attractive.

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The group had not had extensive experience with Greek wines prior to this tasting and it was heartening to see the generally positive manner in which they reacted to the wines presented. An example of this sentiment was John's comments: "Thank you again for a great afternoon!  I enjoyed the tasting immensely and was very happy to attend along with a wonderful assemblage of wine people.  I haven't had Greek wine since my visit to the islands back in 2006, so I was surprised to taste so many interesting wines with complex structures. Again it was an honor to be invited and I look forward to the next lunch tasting."  Jill: "Overall, it was evident that Greek wine deserves our attention. All of the wines Keith selected were quality wines at ridiculously low prices considering. I am sure we will see much more from Greece in the future."

I look forward to sharing different Greek wines with this group in the not-too-distant future.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Evangelos Gerovassiliou (Ktima Gerovassiliou) fleshes out the history of the resurgence of Malagousia

On March 21st, I received an email titled "about Malagousia" from Evangelos Gerovassiliou, owner of Ktima Gerovassiliou, co-owner of Ktima Biblia Chora (along with Vassilis Tsaktsarlis), former oenologist at Domaine Porto Carras, and (as described by #Winelover Ted Lelekas in a recent Lavina Kharkwal article on Vangelis and his wines" "... one of Greece's most respected winemakers."

Vangelis Gerovassiliou (center) at Ktima Gerovassiliou

In the concluding paragraph of my recent post on the Malagousia story, I had raised questions as to whether Stavroula Kourakou-Dragona (the author of the source for my piece) had established the primacy of Evangelos in the resurgence of the variety and whether the variety was still flourishing when the first grapes went to Porto Carras from the Wine Institute. In his email, Evangelos indicated that he had read my piece but waited to respond until after he had done the appropriate background research which included conversations with Mr. Nikoloudis (agronomist and a member of the team at Porto Carras that "revived Malagousia") and Mr. Stavrakas (Professor of viticulture at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), both of whom helped in the research that backed up this email. Vangelis expressed regret that, due to his passing, Vassilis Logothetis, Professor of Ampelography at the aforementioned University, and creator of an experimental vineyard at Domaine Porto Carras, could not be consulted for input.

In comparing Evangelos' missive and Kourakou-Dragona's article, they both agree on the fact that Malagousia was first mentioned in Rousopoulos Oenologics and expanded upon in Krimbas' three-volume Greek Ampelography written beginning in 1943. But from there, their stories diverge markedly. Kourakou-Dragona (her primary source is Charalambos Kotinis) tells of the Wine Institute wanting to include Malagousia in its collection and soliciting Kotinis who provided some cuttings which he had obtained from a grapegrower in Mesologgi named Pantelas Valandreas. And, according to Kourakou-Dragona, some of these same vines were sent on to Domaine Porto Carras.

Evangelos does not subscribe to this version of history. According to him, there were a few Malagousia vines at the School of Agricultural Sciences in Patras. Further, Logothetis had started an experimental vineyard at Porto Carras and was traveling around the country looking for rare and extinct varieties with which to seed the vineyard. One such rare variety that he had secured was Malagousia which he planted in the vineyard in 1969.

Kourakou-Dragona indicated that the first vinification of Malagousia occurred in 1974. Evangelos informs that after tasting the Malagousia grape in 1975, he decided to do the first micro-vinifications at Porto Carras and over the next 4 to 5 years the land devoted to the variety increased to 4 ha.

In 1980, his team sent some Malagousia rootstocks to the Institute of Vine and Wine in Likovrisi, Athens, where Mr Kotinis was employed at that time. Further, in 1982, the Institute asked for some Malagousia grapes and the Porto Carras team responded to that request by sending along two crates of the variety. Mr Kotinis published his book Atlas of Greek Ampelography in 1985.

In concluding, Evangelos said they had looked through the files of the Institute and could find no research on the Malagousia variety prior to 1982. (I read this to say that any research done at the Institute would have been based on the material supplied by Domaine Porto Carras.). Further, the team cannot be sure if Vassilis Logothetis got the initial samples from Mr. Kotinis or whether he found it on a pergola in Nafpatkos.

So the source of the initial Malagousia vines that today populate the North Greece vineyards remains shrouded in the mists of history. Not so the role of Evangelos and his team in the resurgence of the variety. I concur with Kourakou-Dragona in her statement as regards Malagousia where she crowns Gerovassiliou as the "one that placed the pump on her foot and named her Queen of the dance."

UPDATE (3/30/16): In a follow-up email, Evangelos indicated that, after reading the above post, he had a lengthy conversation with Mrs Kourakou and "after taking into consideration all the facts, we have concluded that it was most probably the Institute of Vine and Wine in Likovrisi, Athens that gave the root-stocks of Malagousia to Porto Carras in 1969."

This is beautiful and is the conclusion that I had arrived at overnight. It binds the stories together nicely, providing primacy to the relevant players in their respective spheres of influence.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

The Malagouzia story and selected picks of the wines in North Greece and Eastern Attica

My introduction to the Malagouzia variety coincided with my recent visit to North Greece. The first location visited on that trip was Domaine Porto Carras and it was there that I first tasted Malagouzia and was first exposed to the legend of its re-discovery and rehabilitation by Vangelis Gerovassiliou while in the employ of the selfsame estate.

Our second winery visit was to Ktima Gerovassiliou -- founded and owned by Vangelis -- where the legend was reinforced. On the estate website, the description of its Malagouzia wine emphasizes the importance of Vangelis in the restoration of the variety.

Vangelis Geravassiliou of Domaine Geravassiliou
(center) and Wine Bloggers (left) during a tour of
his estate in October 2015

In material sent to me by Alexandra Anthidou of Wines of North Greece, she cites a passage from Wine Grapes (Robinson, Harding, Vouillamoz) which indicates that the variety had been found in Western Greece by Professor Logothetis of the Agricultural University of Thessaloniki and made its way to Vangelis who worked to realize its full potential during the 1980s and 1990s while at Domaine Porto Carras (A similar story is told in a recent Greece-is article on the topic).

So this was the story I was hearkening back to as I tasted the Malagouzia of Domaine Papagiannakos with Vassilis Papagiannakos during the #winelover visit and tasting with the producers of the Wines of Athens. He told me that my story was not accurate. After staring at him for a bit, I ran off to get Lidia Rizzo. I wanted her to hear this as we had been talking about this topic just previously.

While I am off getting Lidia, let me take a moment to contextualize Malagouzia as a variety. Malagouzia is an aromatic Greek white variety whose stone fruit and white blossom aromas are reminiscent of a less-weighty Viognier. The scion is vigorous and drought-resistant but is also susceptible to botrytis and mildew. It is believed to have originated in Central Greece but was brought back to life in Northern Greece and is now a fixture in vineyards all across the country. The vigor of the scion dictates that the vigneron make the right decisions in terms of site and rootstock selection and manage the canopy effectively. For example, Kitrvs subjects its Malagouzia vines to both green and "purple" harvests to "ensure optimal ripeness and harnessing of the excess vine vigor." In addition, the Kitrvs canopy is managed such as to provide a sufficiency of sun protection during the summer.

Malagouzia. Source: estatewines.com.au

Now let us get back to the Vassilis story.  According to Vassilis, Malagouzia was rediscovered by a Mr. Cotinis who had been the Director of Viticulture in the Ministry of Agriculture. He re-discovered the Malagouzia variety in Orini Nafpatkia. According to Vassilis, Mr. Cotinis was the first person to have published an Atlas of Greek wine and is still alive today.

According to Vassilis, the first person to plant the newly found Malagouzia was a Mideramas Babaer in the 1980s. According to Vassilis, he had received samples from Cotinis along with the folks at Porto Carras and Roxani Matsa.

This story does not dispute the role of Gerovassiliou in bringing the variety to prominence but instead attempts to show that there were many other players involved in the foundling period. I would appreciate any additional light that could be shone into this space.

Vassilis Papagiannakos and daughter sharing their
wines during a #Winelover tasting of the Wines
of Athens in February 2016

As it relates to his estate, Vassilis said that he had been trying to plant Malagouzia between 2002 and 2009 but ran into a lot of botrytis. It was not until he began pruning the canopy that he was able to get smaller fruit. His first vintage was 2012. Vassilis further mentioned that when Reidel was tasting Malagouzias in preparation for developing a glass for the variety, they told him that his and the Gerovassiliou wines represented two separate Malagouzia typicities.

I consulted with a Greek Malagouiza expert to discuss the differences between North Greece and Attica Malagouzias (In North Greece I had tasted Malagouzias from Porto Carras, Kitrvs, Gerovassiliou, Alpha Estate, and Wine Art Estate. In Attica I had tasted Malagouzias from Pappagiannakos and Mylonas.). In both areas the wines are PGI. The climate in Eastern Attica is uniformly Mediterranean, with little rainfall, and the soil has a high clay content. The environment in North Greece is a mix of continental and Mediterranean with higher rain levels and altitude and a high sand content. The winemaking practices do not differ materially between the two regions with each seeking skin contact and leaving the wines on the lees for a period after fermentation in, primarily, stainless steel tanks.

I indicated to the expert that I thought that the wines of Attica were more robust than those of North Greece. The fruit seemed to be riper and the stressed conditions should result in smaller grapes and more concentrated flavors. The expert informed me that Attica has a tradition with Savatiano but, to some extent, its experience with Malagouzia is still in the experimental stage. Further, the expert continued, a fine Malagouzia should have both masculine and feminine elements; it should not be one-dimensional. Of the Malagouzias in the two regions, the expert points to Gerovassiliou, Kitrvs, and Matsa as the best representations of the wine.

In my exploration of Greek wines I have been favorably disposed to the Gerovassiliou, Kitrvs, and Wine Art Estate Malagouzias. I have not had the opportunity to taste the Matsa. If anyone has additional information on the early days of Malagouzia I would be grateful for same. To Malagouzia.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme