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

Greek Wines: Santorini and Beyond (A conversation with Yiannis Karakasis MW), Part 2

In Part 1 of my conversation with Yiannis Karakasis MW, we covered existing and emerging Greek wine terroirs. The conversation continues and concludes in this post.

Vineyard plantings are approximately 55% white grape varieties and 45% red but, more importantly, 90 - 95% of the 65,000 ha are planted to indigenous varieties. This is important for us. We have carried the flag of indigenous vineyards for a lot of years. We are proud of our indigenous varieties.

In response to a question on the differences of Assyrtiko and Malagousia across geographic regions, Yiannis responded thusly. There are 2000 ha of Assyrtiko vines planted nationwide with 40 - 45% of the plantings in Santorini. If you have a scale with minerality on one side and fruit on the other, Santorini comes down hard on the minerality side with high minerality, saltiness, and evaporating smoke. If you go to mainland Greece, the Assyrtiko is broader, with more fruit. In the islands, the Assyrtiko is balanced between fruit and acidity.

In discussing emergent producers, Yiannis talked about waves of Greek wine producers. He saw the first wave as establishing the foundation of Greek wines and included producers such as Alpha Estate, Domaine Gerovassiliou, Ktima Kir Yianni, Ktima Pavlidis, Boutari, Sigalas, and Gaia. These were then followed by a second wave and a third wave, because we are always looking for something new (I have attached a link to Yiannis' 2016 article on a new generation of Greek winemakers here). What he is looking for are producers that are doing exciting new stuff. An example of that is Santor, the first biodynamic winery in Greece.

As it relates to the regions, most are limited in plantings. For example, Rapsani only covers 100 ha and Naousa 700 ha. Nemea, the largest PDO, only extends 2500 ha; and Santorini covers 1100 ha. He would like to see more things happening in the vineyard because everything starts from there. He is expecting to see more from Nemea in the future. Some of the areas where he expects to see new stuff happening include:

• Keffalonia
• Crete
• Peloponnese
• Several islands in the Aegean
• Rapsani
• Goumenisa.

There is an emphasis on producers going to high elevation vineyards both to change the expression of the variety as well as to combat climate change.

A lot of people are pursuing organic farming but he would like to see more. Fewer wineries are experimenting with biodynamics. Only one winery is certified in the country. They do need to do a lot more work in the vineyard. Especially in the areas of bush vines and clonal selection. He sees bush vines as a strategy to improve quality in the face of a changing climate.

In terms of varieties, you have to ask the question: Do we have a variety that can produce world class wines? Assyrtiko has answered that question. And we can say the same about top-quality Xinomavro. But Xinomavrio is a capricious variety, requiring extreme care in its handling in order to make top-quality wine. It requires good handling in the vineyard to attain phenolic ripeness and gentle handling in the winery in order to avoid a lot of aggressive tannins.

Beyond those two he thinks that:

• Agiorgitiko can produce world class within two or three years
• Robola cam produce top quality wines
• Liatiko can produce high-quality wines (as evidenced by the wines of Economou)
• Mavrodaphne can produce top quality, unique wines.

The top-level wines in Greece are mostly varietal. Xinomavro is blended in Goumenisa and Rapsani. While the law in Santorini allows for a minimum of 75% Assyrtiko, most of the wineries produce 100% wines.

He likes what he is seeing in the cellars:

• A lot of experimentation with old oak
• Moderate alcohol
• Amphorae and concrete as fermentation vehicles
• Low-intervention winemaking.

He is hoping that the natural wine regulations instituted in France is adopted by all the European countries such that confusion is minimized. There is some skin-contact wines being made in Crete, Attica, and in the north but people are still confused as to skin-contact and natural wines.

I asked about Retsina and Yiannis said "Will the real Retsina please stand up." The winemakers, he said, are using so little resin today that you cannot spot it in the wine. They go for elegant but if you don't spot the resin then you don't have Retsina. Retsina brings bad memories for a lot of people but we need to be proud of the really good Retsinas on the market.

The external markets (20%) for Greek wines are Germany (50% of exports), France, USA, Canada and the UK. The Germans are looking for inexpensive wines but beyond that, the wines are consumed in top restaurants in London, Paris, and New York. The wines are food-friendly and allow Somms to experiment freely.

As to how things will look post-lockdown, Yiannis shared that tourism is 15% of the Greek economy and, indirectly, 20 - 25%. If the lockdown ends towards the end of May, then they can work their way back slowly to where they were pre-lockdown. If it extends beyond that, "it's a big problem."

I wished him all the best on that Good Friday night in Athens and for the days to come. Thank you Yiannis.


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Greek Wines: Santorini and Beyond (A conversation with Yiannis Karakasis MW), Part 1

I held an InstaLive Chat session with Yiannis Karakasis on April 17th, the topic of which was Greek Wines: Santorini and Beyond. Given the wealth of information shared by Yiannis, I thought it important to provide the details of that conversation on this platform.

We began with background information on Yiannis. He was an officer in the Hellenic Navy where he served as a helicopter pilot. He was pursuing his WSET Diploma  while serving and made the decision to leave the military to concentrate on his wine studies. This was a big risk. He was rewarded, though, in that he was able to earn his MW in four years. Since attaining the MW he has been mostly educating, consulting, and writing about Greek and Cypriot wines. The most important thing for him currently is communicating his passion about Greek wines.

In terms of the positioning of Greek wines today, Yiannis sees the industry as being in a better place than it was 10 years ago. We have heard, says Yiannis, the Santorini story, but it is a niche market for initiated people and Somms in fine restaurants to whom Greek wines are important. The industry has a long way to go to attain his goal of it being the first alternative after France, Italy, and Spain in terms of recognition and quality. They will not play in the quantity game because production is 2.1 million hL annually. Greek wine can move towards this point with a lot of work in the vineyard.

Greek wine cannot become mainstream if we cannot expand the discussion beyond Santorini to other terroirs, other varieties. Santorini always works because they produce great wine; but there is more. He thinks that they should be focusing on these new stories, on new terroirs and new varieties. When people taste wines from Naousa, Nemea, or Keffalonia, they are immediately connected to those places.

We are only at the beginning of the terroir discussion in Greece, he said. There is some discussion in Naousa, and the beginning of a discussion in Nemea; but why are there not more single-vineyard offerings in the latter, the largest PDO in Greece. Currently there are only two or three producers crafting single-vineyard offerings in Nemea. Sigalis and a few other winemakers are producing single-vineyard wines in Santorini.

It is important that producers come up with single-vineyard offerings so that they can be sampled over time and see where they are going. Yiannis will be querying the growers in upcoming discussions (the lockdown willing) as to what are the constraints to providing these types of offerings. The single-vineyard discussion, though, is for the "sophisticated" among us. We still need to get people comfortable with three or 4 varieties at the consumer level.

In terms of important terroirs he pointed out the North, with its four PDOs for Xinomavro, the Peloponnese and Assyrtiko, the Mainland for Savatiano, and Crete for Vidiano (white) and Liatiko (red). Further, in Crete we can talk about international varieties becoming local. For example, the Rhone varieties (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre) have adapted beautifully to the terroir. The Grenache from Manousakis, for example, is a different Grenache, elegant and refined. If you go to Keffalonia, the western portion is prime territory for Robola and Mavrodaphne while Assyrtiko dominates to the east.

There are 230 varieties recorded in the database, according to Yiannis, but there may be 230 more undiscovered. But discussion of new varieties may be complicating things more than they should be at this time. People wanting to begin an exploration of Greek wines should begin with four or so varieties: Assyrtiko, Malagousia (or, maybe, Moschofilero), Agiorgitiko, and Xinomavro. If you go deeper into red wines, there are too many stories. He is finding new discoveries every day in the "Greek wine book."

I will continue with Part 2 of the discussion on the morrow.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Greek Wine Dinner at K Restaurant (Orlando, FL)

I have an abiding interest in Greek wines due to my tasting travels in the region and the number of friends I have made during those trips. I was considering attending the upcoming Greek Wine Dinner at K Restaurant and was still in the deliberative phase when I received a direct communication from Michelle Hulbert, the restaurant's Pastry Chef, inviting us to the event. I decided to take her up on the invitation.

The event was being held in the Garden House, a newly rented, event space located next to the main restaurant. Passing through the front entrance we were confronted by two rows of dressed tables and presentation equipment against the southern wall. A few guests had already arrived and we introduced ourselves as we sought seating that would position us best for the presentation.

After all the attendees had gathered, we were welcomed by K Restaurant Owner and Executive Chef Chad Phelps. He thanked us for coming and laid out his thought process in putting together the tasting. At the end of his remarks, he turned the floor over to Lawrence Head of Breakthrough Beverages who would be leading us through the tasting.

Chad Phelps, Executive Chef and Owner,
K Restaurant

The first dish was a Grilled Manouri Cheese on Pita garnished with Arugula and with oregano and lemon. Tasty and refreshing. The Pita was unyielding to the cutlery and had to be "handed."

This dish was accompanied by the 2016 Alpha Estate Malagouzia. Aromatic. Green herbs and pineapple. Full, round mouthfeel. Brightness on the palate along with power and minerality. Persistent minerality. Powerful in relation to the Malagouzias from Porto Carras and Geravassiliou.

Grilled Manouri Cheese

Ryan McLaughlin, Chef de Cuisine

The second course was a Greek Salad accompanied by a 2016 Domaine Santo Assyrtiko.

This was a beautifully constructed salad with heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, Kalamata Olives, Feta cheese mousse, oregano, lemon, and olive oil. In the US, Greek salads are often encumbered with lettuce and other arcana, straying from the traditional path. This salad stayed true. I normally prefer my feta cheese in slabs at the top of the salad, rather than as a mousse, but the dish did not suffer from the change. Excellent.

The Assyrtiko was mineral on the nose with a hint of salinity. Broad on the palate, saline, mineral, citrus. Not as razor-sharp as I like my Assyrtikos.

Greek Salad

The third course was a Grilled Swordfish and Octopus dish accompanied by the 2015 Douloufakis Liatiko.

The Swordfish and Octopus laid on a bed of fennel, artichokes, garbanzo beans, peppers, and herbs all in a tomato and seafood broth. The Octopus was pleasingly spicy. The Swordfish was extremely tender, an experience with which I am unfamiliar. Loved the dish.

The Douloufakis Liatiko showed tar, dark olives, and blue fruit on the nose. Light-bodied. Dark and red fruits. Savory. Mineral. Drying finish. Does not engage the full palate. Will benefit from some aging.

Swordfish and Octopus

The Lamb Chop course was accompanied by the 2013 Kir-Yianni Ramnista. The Lamb dish included oregano roasted potatoes, fava beans, and house-made yogurt. This was a wonderful dish. Beautiful pink color. Nice salty texture and buttery feel.

The Ramnista showed tomato, tomato leaf, herbs, savoriness, and salinity. An explosion of fruit on the palate. Dark red fruit, spice, licotice, salinity, and tar. Better three or so years down the road.

Lamb Chop

Table mates

The dessert course was a Honeycake, supported by an Orange Blossom Glaze and a Yogurt Sauce. Michelle did her usual excellent job on this one. The dish was accompanied by the 2016 Kir-Yianni Akakis Sparkling Rosé. Strawberry and spice on the nose. Unappealing.

Honeycake

Michelle Hulbert, Pastry Chef

I really enjoyed this dinner. Generally I am more interested in the wine part of these dinners but the food quality and taste was of such a high quality that it easily eclipsed the wines. Kudos to Chad and his team. I think that Ryan has stepped into the ranks of the top-tier chefs in Orlando with this performance

     ©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

Orlando tasting of selected Greek wines: The sparkling and whites

Switching from absorption to evangelizing, I recently held a tasting of selected Greek wines for Sommeliers, retailers, and collectors here in Orlando. The tasting was held at Capital Grille (International Drive) on May 25th and included the following wines:

Sparkling: Karanika Brut Cuvee Speciale, Karanika Brut Cuvee Prestige, Karanika Brut Rose
White: Ktima Gerovassiliou Malagousia 2014, Boutari Malagousia 2015, Domaine Zafeirakis Malagousia 2015, Domaine Costa Lazaridis Semillon 2014
Red: Domaine Economou Sitia (2006, 1999), Domaine Porto Carras Chateau Porto Carras (2006, 1990, 1993, 1989, 2001, 1994, 1985, 1981).

All of the wines were sourced from the author's private collection.

This post will cover the sparkling and white wines with the reds being covered in a subsequent post. I solicited the perspectives of attendees post the event and use their voices herein.

Sparkling Flight

I have previously recounted my initial exposure to this wine as well as its growing conditions and production process.

John Siudut (Proprietor, Vintage Vino): "Sparkling is always a great way to begin any tasting and I was glad to share a toast at the beginning (Prior to the actual tasting, I had opened a few bottles of Chartogne-Taillet to serve as ice-breakers).  The first three wines in the sparkling lineup were all outstanding, but my favorite was the Rosé which held me riveted with its complex, fresh red fruit flavors and its beautiful length."

Jill Kathryn Davis (former Head Sommelier at Capa Grill at the Four Seasons and Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse): "I have only ever tasted Xinamavro as a red still wine. Karanika’s Brut surprised me. Who knew anyone was even making sparkling wine in Greece, let alone méthode traditionelle with organic Xinamavro grapes in Amyndeon." She thought that the Karanika wines "showed incredibly well" and that "the relatively new project has lots of potential."

Juan Valencia (Assistant General Manager and Sommelier, Norman's at the Ritz Grande Lakes) saw the Karanika Brut Cuvee Speciale as "dense and creamy" with "large gluttonous bubbles"and a "dried red fruit component." He felt that bright acidity was the driving force for this wine. For Andres Montoya (Proprietor, The Wine Barn) this wine was medium-bodied, with a light mineral quality, good acid, and a long, powdery finish. He found it to be a very nice introduction to Xinomavro.

Juan saw the Karanika Brut Cuvee Prestige as much more tropical than the Cuvee Speciale with bubbles that seemed a little finer. "On the palate, focused and angular. Reminiscent of dried apricots and green strawberries. Clean finish as was the case for the Speciale. For Andrew, this wine had a "fuller style, intense mouthfeel, poached pear, mineral and lightly yeasty character. High acid and salinity on the finish."

There was a lack of unanimity as regards the Karanika Brut Rose. As we saw above, it was John's favorite. Juan, however, described it as "tootie fruity" with slight residual sugar. To him it "seemed geared to the poolside consumer rather than serious wine drinkers" and had "lots of room for improvement." Andres described it thusly: dark pink color; intense nose of watermelon and red cherry; rich mousse; residual sugar is very evident. Finishes flat. Low acid.

All participants were amazed at the price point of these wines and clearly saw them, especially the Cuvees, as extremely good value for money.

White Flight
This flight consisted of three Malagousias and one Semillon, the latter of which had been gifted to me by Yiannis Karakasis on my most recent trip to Athens. I have covered the potential origins of Malagousia as well as the Ktima Gerovassiliou operations in prior posts.

John thought that this flight was pleasant but a slight step down in quality from the Sparkling wines. According to John, "I enjoyed the diverse profiles of all the wines and, although none of them reached outstanding, all three were in the good to very good range. I enjoyed the Domaine Zafeirakis Malagousia 2015 a great deal and was impressed by the balanced acidity. I would love to try it with some white fish to see how well it would pair with food. The Semillon was a hard read at first, but the richness and the fruit flavors opened up in the glass.

Malagousia is not a varietal with which Jill was very familiar. She felt that the selection of versions from different producers and regions allows one to see the varietal for itself. She found the varietal  aromatic and not overly acidic. Her personal favorite of the flight was the Domaine Zafeirakis.

Juan saw the Gerovassiliou Malagouzia 2014 as having "pretty white floral aromas, dried muscat, dried peach, nectarine flesh" and being refreshing on the palate. Andres concurred with that characterization: "floral, dry-muscat like, with orange blossom, honeydew and honeysuckle aromas. Reminds me of the dry muscats produced in Malaga by Victoria Ordonez (Botani)."

The Boutari Malagouzia 2015 had "Jasmine and artificial jasmine on the nose, almost like dish soap lavender. On the palate, the wine had an awkward steely character that fell flat. Somewhat awkward" (Juan). Andrew saw it as simple and clean with a light finish.

The consensus winner among the Malagousias was the Zafeirakis. Juan saw it as having "vibrant lavender and citrus oil on the nose. Bright acidity leading the way for ripe stone fruit on the palate. Winner of the lineup for Malagouzia." Andres struck the only discordant note finding it to be refreshing but less aromatic than the Gerovassiliou and having a simple finish.

The Costa Lazaridi Semillon was universally liked. Andres: "powerful, intense aromatics, poached pear, tangerine, vanilla bean, creamy mouthfeel. Reminds me of a Napa Chardonnay made in a full style but still showing good fruit, oak, and not overdone. Juan was equally poetic: "simply delicious. Exotic tropical fruit on the nose like guava flesh, overripe red mango, and golden pineapple. Meaty and brooding tropical fruit on the palate. Beautifully lifted finish. Like an echo that slowly fades.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Wines of North Greece: The physical environment

Greece for me has historically been confined to the beaches of Mykonos and Vouliagmeni; the sheer cliffs, sunsets, and Assyrtiko of Santorini; and the timeless cultural artifacts of Athens. But no more. My horizons have been expanded significantly to now include the wine, foods, and people of Northern Greece thanks to a Wines-of-North-Greece-sponsored Pre-Conference Press Trip designed to introduce nine bloggers, and their readers, to the region's offerings. I will share my experiences and learnings in a number of posts on this blog over the coming weeks.

Bloggers with Vasilis Ioannou of Alpha Estate at front left.
Alpha Estate visit.

In this post I will describe the physical environment within which the wineries operate. That will be followed by a post on the built environment and cultural practices. The third post in the series will cover the winemaking practices in the region while the fourth will delve into the actual wines produced. I will present my observations, learnings, and recommendations in the fifth and final post of the series.

The Press Trip, as mentioned previously, was sponsored by Wines of North Greece. The map immediately below shows the distribution of wineries visited by region while the second map shows the specific locations of the wineries visited, the day on which each winery was visited, and the agenda at each winery.

Distribution of wineries visited, by region

Route of North Greece Wine Trail Press Trip

Macedonia is the largest geographic region of the Greek territories with its 34,000+ km² accounting for 25.7% of the country's land mass. The region is mountainous, with 29.4% being mountainous, 25.9% hilly, and 34.7% flat land. The climate is Mediterranean at the coast and more continental inland.

The table below summarizes the physical environment of the regions within which the wineries we visited are resident.

Table1. Physical environments of wine regions visited

Region	Climate	Altitude	Soils
Naoussa	Cold Mediterranean	150 - 450 m	Limestone, loam, sand, clay Low levels of organic matter
Amyndeon	Continental Coldest winemaking region in Greece Great diurnal temperature variation Constant north winds from adjacent mountains	570 - 750 m	Poor sandy soils
Goumenissa	Mediterranean	150 - 250 m; gentle southeast-facing slopes	Free-draining soils with high limestone content
Slopes of Meliton	Mediterranean; moderated by ocean influences; strong diurnal effect; 500 m annual rainfall	200 - 400 m	Finely broken schist
Rapsani	Temperate Mediterranean; modified by oceans and mountains to the north	250 - 750 m	Iron-rich schist Fertile loams at lower altitude Rocky, low fertility soils at higher altitudes
Drama	Transitional		High levels of sand and clay
Epanomi	Mediterranean		Sandy-argillaceous

For the most part, the climate is Mediterranean, in some cases moderated by oceans and/or mountains. The highest vineyard altitudes can be found at Amyndeon, where altitudes range between 570 and 750 meters. Rapsani tops out at similar altitudes as does Amyndeon but starts out at much lower levels. Schist, sand, and clay are the predominant soils.

The built environment will be covered in the next post in this series.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Inside the Fredrick Wildman and Sons new Greek wine portfolio

Fredrick Wildman and Sons, an old-line New York fine wine importer, has worked with @elloinos, an Athens-based Greek wine promoter, to develop a portfolio of Greek wines for the US market.  Fredrick Wildman introduced these wines to the market in a tasting held at the Landmarc restaurant in New York City on February 1, 2012.  According to Wildman, the producers around whose wines the portfolio is built "... provide eight distinct new voices in the world of Greek wine: from organic boutique upstarts, venerated houses, and vin natural producers, these vintners share common goal(s) in the quality and care they put forth." I have summarized the offerings in the table below.

(i) CS = Cabernet Sauvignon; (ii) Floara di Munti Brut is the sparkling offering

As the list shows, the portfolio consists of 26 wines from nine producers (the Rossiu di Munte Collection is a label from Katogi Averoff).  There are no distinct patterns in the list in terms of the age of the wineries.  The oldest is Koutsoyiannopoulos which was founded in the late 19th century while two of the wineries (Zafeirakis and Nerantzi) were founded within the past decade.  Of the remaining, three were founded in the 1990s, one in the 1980s, and one in the 1950s.  The average size of the vineyards for which data are available is 10.6 hectares.  As can be seen in the figure below, the estates are fairly widely distributed across the Greek wine regions.

Katogi Averoff contributes the highest percentage (30.7%) of the wines to the portfolio while Koutsoyiannopoulos and Troupis both contribute a single wine (3.8%) each.  Seventy-three percent of the portfolio is red wine, 23% is white, and there is a single sparkling wine.  Of the 19 reds, five are blends and the most important varietal, blend or standalone, is Agiorgitiko.  The international varietals Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are represented in the portfolio both as monovarietals and as components in a blend.  With the exception of one case, the white wines are monovarietal and disparate.

Overall, the quality of the portfolio is very high.  I was particularly impressed with the saline citrus minerality of the Assyrtiko, the story and storied wines of Domaine Economou, the surpringly balanced Syrah of Domaine Nerantzi, the complexity of the Katogi Averoff Red blend, and the expressiveness of the Christos Kokkalis wines.  I found the sparkling wine from the Rossiu di Munte Collection wanting (whack-a-mole bubbles, limited persistence) and cannot see a clear path to success in the US market for this offering.

With the exception of three of the offerings, the wines were all poured by the estate owners/winemakers and they were all pleased and excited to be representing their estates and Greek wine on this stage.  I had extended conversations with Yiannis Economou (Domaine Economou), the brother of Christos Zafeirakis (Domaine Zafeirakis), and Eva Nerantzi (Domaine Nerantzi) and they were all highly enthusiastic about their products as well as the opportunity.  Yiannis particularly impressed me with his dedication to his principles of production and the aging of his wines and his wines reflect those principles.  Eva has an Oenology degree from the University of Dijon in France but utilizes her learnings within the guiding principles of the estate that her father built.

Kudos to @elloinos for putting together a great portfolio and to Fredrick Wildman for choosing the right man for the job.

Genesis of the Fredrick Wildman and Sons Greek wine portfolio

Having arrived at the conclusion that @elloinos is one of the most passionate and informed of the Greek-wine-focused bloggers -- as well as being similarly interested in, and concerned about, the impacts of the current financial crisis on the broader Greece, and, more narrowly, its wine industry -- it was a no-brainer for me to respond affirmatively when he announced that he was going to be in the US in the January-February timeframe and would be interested in meeting some of his twitter friends at that time.  After some DMing and emailing, I came to understand that @elloinos had put together a portfolio of Greek wines for Fredrick Wildman and was coming to the US for the public introduction of same.  I was subsequently invited by @elloinos to attend the New York event.

@elloinos is the Twitter handle of Markus Stolz, a German native currently residing in Athens and working on connecting Greek wine producers with importers from other markets.  A key tool in his arsenal is elloinos.com "... a hub for producers, merchants, and consumers ..." which provides insight into Greek wines and Greek wine production.

@elloinos expounding on his favorite topic at the Landmarc

In a January 2012 post on his blog, Markus expressed his excitement at being chosen by Wildman to assist them in their Greek-wine-importing initiative (This project hits the sweet spot of the elloinos mission which is to get Greek wines into the hands of international consumers through linkups with importers.).

Fredrick Wildman and Sons had its beginning shortly after the end of Prohibition when the namesake owner bought a wine and fine food importer called Bellows and Company. Shortly after the purchase, Mr. Wildman travelled to Europe and signed up a number of leading wine estates to have their products distributed in the US through his company. The name Fredrick Wildman and Sons came into being in 1952 when Mr. Wildman formed a company of that name to fill the void created when National Distillers left the fine wine business.  Wildman became a subsidiary of Hiram Walker in 1989 but was sold in 1993 to an investment group comprised of the Wildman CEO (Richard Cacciato) and six of its leading suppliers.

In my conversation with him, Markus indicated that he had been approached by Wildman to assist them in assembling a new Greek wine portfolio.  He put together samples and shipped them off to New York and within two weeks of the samples' arrival in NY, Wildman staffers were in Greece to meet the winemakers, taste the wines in-country, and explore the opportunities for business relationships.  The tasting at the Landmarc signaled the end of the selection/portfolio-building stage and the launch of the marketing/selling phase of the initiative.

I will explore the portfolio in a subsequent post.