A Champagne, red and white Burgundies, and a Bordeaux

Those were the parameters established for the dinner at Norman's to celebrate Juan David Valencia's first day on the job as Assistant General Manager at that prestigious Orlando restaurant.

Juan is one of the bright young Somms on the Orlando wine scene and, until a few weeks back, had been the Somm at Luma on Park, a Winter Park culinary stalwart. He recently passed the Court of Master Sommeliers Certified Sommelier exam and, in his message so informing me, also indicated that he was moving over to Norman's as AGM. I was extremely pleased with both of these developments as I have played the role of mentor to Juan. I told him that we would be there on his first night of work to lend support and enlisted Ron for this effort. At our lunch last Wednesday, Ron suggested that we bring along the wines mentioned in the title of this post as dinner accompaniments. Done.

Ron and Bev arrived at the restaurant before we did and had been seated at a table with a lovely view of the beautifully manicured grounds outside. Juan was at the table speaking to them and I was proud to see him in his grey suit, blue shirt, and tie, a sartorial splendor that could not be practiced at his place of former employment. After welcomes and congratulations, we settled in for what would prove to be a fun night.

Champagne
Ron began the proceedings by opening a bottle of Jacques Selosse Substance. Substance always impresses me with its vibrancy. On the nose, honey, orange rind, nuttiness, and creme brulée. Weighty on the palate with burnt orange, bitter lemon, walnut, a syrupy tangerine, and a rich creaminess. As the wine matured in the glass, the sensation of floating on a tangerine sea. The 1999 Cristal that I took was yeasty on the nose with notes of golden apple. On the palate, rich and fresh with great acidity. Two radically different Champagne styles.

The Champagnes were accompanied by Wianno Oysters and Hackleback Caviar.

White Burgundies
We quickly realized that we had both brought the same bottle, a 2007 Remoissenet Le Montrachet. There is a background story here that is worth a tell. I first met Ron six years ago at a Pierre-Antoine Rovani tasting held at The Wine Barn here in Orlando. Rovani had just been appointed President of Remoissenet, after its purchase by THEM, LLC., and was barnstorming the the US carrying the message of the "new" Remoissenet while trying to sell some of the stock in its cellars.

Ron and I got to talking at the event after it became clear that we would be the only ones buying the Le Montrachet that night. We bought three bottles each and was now each down to our last, the ones we had brought this evening (We had drunk all of the other bottles at joint dinners in the past but had never before brought our bottles to the same event.). We decided that we would only drink one of the bottles that night. Ron suggested that we flip a coin and the "loser's" bottle would be drunk that night and the "winner's" the next time we met. Juan produced a coin, flipped it, I called, and we drunk Ron's wine.

This wine was sublime. It was pale gold in color and restrained on the nose with elegant, classic apple-pear notes and hints of baking spices. Lemon, orange, pineapple, faded lemon rind, and a hint of smokiness on the palate. Perfect weight. Perfect texture. Perfect balance. Tight focus. Elegant, lengthy finish.

I paired this wine with a Brazilian Styled Creamy Cracked Conch Chowder which was rounded out with Saffron, Orange, Star Anise, and a Coconut Cloud.

Red Burgundies
The red Burgundy flight consisted of two DRCs: a 1988 Echezeaux (Ron) and a 1994 La Tache (me). We started with the La Tache and the aromatics were welcoming. A red fruit slurry on the nose along with nutmeg and smoke. Not very expressive on the palate initially, an issue we attributed to the vintage (1994 had been a difficult year for Burgundy). With time, faded red fruit, tamarind, and blackpepper with a dilute finish. The wine became a little more robust in the glass with the passage of time.

The 1988 Echezeaux was rich and creamy on the nose with red fruits, smoke, baking spices, tobacco, thyme, and beeswax. Savory on the palate with a balsamic note. Balanced with a long finish.

This flight was paired with a Yuzu Mojo Roasted Breast of Organic Chicken accompanied by Pad Thai Rice Noodles, Snap Peas, and a Ginger Carrot Purée.

Bordeaux
Ron brought a 1982 Pichon-Lalande and I a 1995 Latour. The Pichon exhibited green bean-bell pepper notes along with sweet spices, dried herbs, cedar, and mocha chocolate. On the palate mature black fruit, dark chocolate, and smoke. Drinks younger than its age. A producer and vintage that Ron does not mind trotting out because it always shows well.

The Latour showed earth, soy, spice, nutmeg, squid ink, dried tree bark, graphite, roasted coffee, and black fruits. On the palate saltwater taffy, butterscotch, black olives, soy, dark fruit, and a savoriness. Focused. Balanced. Long finish.

The flight was accompanied by a Dry-Aged, Bone-In, 22 Oz Ribeye Steak with Spanish Potato Torta, Thumbellina Roasted Carrots, and Malbec Essence.

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All in all a wonderful evening: Juan saw friendly faces for the duration of his first night at work in his new restaurant (and drank some pretty good stuff to boot); Ron, Bev, Parlo, and I got to enjoy each others company in a great local setting; the food was of an extremely high quality; and the wines were exceptional. We all remarked as to the consistently high quality within and across the flights.

A very satisfying evening on all fronts.


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Soldera Brunello di Montalcino through the Ages, 1981 - 2006 (with Antonio Galloni): Background

Gianfranco Soldera is notoriously curmudgeonly; does not brook fools gladly; does not make friends easily; prefers not to take visits from, or sell his wine to, people who do not share his philosophy as it relates to wines and winemaking; and makes one of the most coveted and treasured wines in the world. Known almost for much as the quality of his wines as for the case where a disgruntled former employee opened valves allowing six vintages of his maturing wines to flood the floors of his cellars, Soldera famously accused his fellow winemakers of seeking to perpetrate a fraud when they offered to provide him wines to mitigate his loss. He indicated that he would resign from the Consorzio in 2015 but the Consorzio was deeply miffed and voted to oust him immediately and then sued him for gross libel.

And it was his wines that we would be tasting at Antonio Galloni's Soldera: Brunello di Montalcino Through the Ages (1981 - 2006) event held at maze Restaurant in London, on April 27, 2016. But before relating the event, following is some background on the producer and his wines.

According to Galloni, Soldera had no winemaking pedigree. His family was from Treviso, an area not known for its stellar wines, but his father was a big collector and knew all of the major producers. Gianfranco had grown up tasting all the great wines.

Soldera had made his money elsewhere and decided to use his resources to buy a property to grow winegrapes. He looked first in Piemonte because he was enamored with the great producers and their wines. But his efforts there were unsuccessful so he turned to Montalcino where he was able to purchase some land in the southern portion of the region (The chart below shows the various sub-regions of Montalcino. Other noted producers located in the southern region include Biondi-Santi, Costanti, and Pian dell'Oreno.).

According to Italian Wine Merchants (IWM), Soldera planted two small plots -- Case Basse (2 ha) and Intistieti (4.5 ha) -- to Sangiovese between 1972 and 1973, Sangiovese being the only grape, he believed, "that possessed a genuine synergy with the land." IWM states that Soldera drew exclusively on the Intistieti vineyard for early wines because its poorer soils delivered wines with structure. Antonio believes that Intistieti is the better vineyard because it produces more powerful tannic wines while Case Basse produces more feminine wines with silky tannins.

The first wines yielded from the young vines in 1975 were produced as a Vino da Tavola Rosso, a precursor of today's Rosso di Montalcino.

Soldera wines are made in the most natural way possible. Galloni see his farming techniques as biodynamic but Soldera has not sought certification as such. He curtails vineyard yields by short pruning in the winter, green pruning in the summer, and grape and leaf thinning in the fall.
His wines are made in the same manner as a Monfortino: natural fermentation in Slavonian oak vats; long maceration on skins; and long aging. Fermentations are not temperature-controlled and cap management is via pumpovers.

A driving force for Soldera has always been wines that age well. The Soldera wine is aged up to 5 years in large Slavonian oak casks and is then held in bottle for several months for further maturation. The Riserva is aged for an additional year. In certain vintages he produces shorter-matured wines which are labeled either Intistieti or Pegasos.

Each of the large casks is bottled separately, a practice that Galloni is uncomfortable with because it will yield bottle variation (based on source cask). It also goes against the winemaking grain of post-maturation blending in order to provide consistency across bottles and the best overall representation of the estate's offering.

I will report on the tasting event in my next post.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Bartolo Mascarello Retrospective (1958 - 2010) with Antonio Galloni: Tasting Notes

Bartolo Mascarello: A Historical Perspective, 1958 - 2010 was a tasting event organized by Antonio Galloni's Vinous and held at the 28º - 50º Maddox Street location in London on April 26, 2016. I have provided the background to the event in a prior post and will cover the tasting notes herein. The tasting covered five flights, four of which contained four wines and the last of which contained two wines. Each flight was accompanied by a creation of the 28º - 50º culinary team.

Flight 1: Ready to Drink
This flight included the vintages 2000, 2003, 2005, and 1995 and was paired with a Crab Tortellini (Miso Broth, Spring Onion, Toasted Garlic).

2003
The year had been a hot one with 40 days of temperatures over 40℃. It was thought that the wines would be jammy; but, according to Antonio, this was not the case for Mascarello.

This wine exhibited tar, roses, and red cherry on the nose. Ripe fruit on the palate along with tobacco and tar but a certain reticence on the mid-zone. Not as refreshing as some of the other wines in the flight. In my opinion some vintage effects shone through.

2005
According to Antonio, this vintage was saved by technology. As harvest was approaching, radar showed a 7-day rain front in the offing. Many producers chose to pick early so the tannins on these wines can be aggressive.

Restrained tar and roses along with a cherry component. Not as knife-edged on the palate as I would have liked but balanced. And the fruit carries through to a robust finish.

1995
According to Antonio, made in the older style.

I had tasted this Mascarello vintage three years ago and at that time had described it as having "a bouquet of dried cherry, soy, and sandalwood. Medium length with red fruits, leather, and mushroom." I found the wine at this tasting to be elegant on the nose with evidence of sweet flowers, tar, asphalt, and dark fruits. Intense red fruits on the palate with some stemminess. Dried rose petal, mushroom, and tobacco on the palate. Long sour finish with a drying towards the end.

2000
Antonio had asked that we taste this wine last in the flight, even though it was the first wine listed in the program. He indicated that, by this vintage, we had seen a dramatic transformation in the winery, a transformation that had been ongoing for 10 years. When this particular wine was first released, it was "barnyardy" and that barnyard character mutes the fruit.

Unfocused. Leather, smoke, and faded roses. Perfumed. Hint of sweetness and spice. Earthiness on the palate.

Dish
The bowl in which the Tortellini was presented was too deep and made it difficult to get to the contents. In addition, the broth was salty, a theme in all of the dishes. Nothing special here.

Flight 2: Great Vintages in Barolo

This flight included the vintages 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001 and was paired with a Pea Risotto (Preserved Lemon, Marjoram, Parmesan Cracker). 

According to Antonio, great vintages in Barolo are considered cooler vintages because Nebbiolo likes the associated long growing seasons and fall diurnal variation. The great vintages experience gradual late ripening into October.

1997

This wine exhibited the classic tar and roses but, in addition, an intense spiciness. Great structure and acidity. No rough edges on the palate. Long sour finish. Best wine tasted so far. Antonio had similar sentiments, remarking on the sensuality, roundness, and harmony of the wine. He thought it was the best wine of the flight.

1998
High-toned rose and tar, dried prunes, phenolic note, dried herbs, cigar, cigar box, leather, and espresso. Unfocussed on palate. Antonio remarked that, while chronologically one year older than the 1997, it was tasting 5+ years older.

1999
Black and red fruits, spice, earth, and leather. Young.  Antonio saw this wine as having a laser-like focus. It had been widely ignored for years. He thinks it is still not yet ready.

2001
Porty with a phenolic note. Dried bark, dried herbs. Fruity on the palate but unfocused but palate delivers beyond the promise of the nose. Not many years ahead. Antonio saw this as having density and weight, spices, clove, and leather. He thought it was good but not great.

Dish
The Pea Risotto was very salty. It was light and airy and only a few salt grains away from being a truly phenomenal dish.

Flight 3: Classic Vintages
This flight included the vintages 1988, 1989, 1998, and 1996 and was paired with a Pan-Fried Cod (Broad Beans, Morels, Lemon Potato, Spring Onion Vinaigrette)

1988
Leads with Grandmas closet followed closely by dried rose petals, tar, and spice. Brightness on palate. Tamarind, spice and light tannins. Antonio got orange peel, quince and spice and remarked on the silky tannins. Lengthy finish. Antonio said this vintage had been highly touted but they age unevenly and never truly developed into a refined wine.

1989
This wine had the mustiness that is a fruit killer. Rose petals, tar, and spice. I did not find this wine appealing. Antonio was even less thrilled. He felt that this bottle was not as good as this wine can be.

1990
Classic nose plus spice. Perfumed. Leather and tobacco. Sensation of sweetness on the palate. Excellent acid levels and long finish. The first of the climate change vintages, according to Antonio, and it was showing well.

1996
Spice and rose petals. Undrinkable due to heavy sedimentation. No additional wine available to replace the junk in the glass. Antonio indicated that, in his view, this was one of the great vintages of the '90s and will be great for another 20 years. My loss.

Dish
The Pan-Fried Cod was salty.

Flight 4: Greatest Four Wines of Recent Vintages
This flight included the vintages 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010 and was paired with an English Ribeye (28-Day Aged, Bearnaise Sauce)

2004
Tar, roses, green herbs. Young, balanced, focused, round. Sensation of heat. One of the first great vintages that Antonio had reviewed and he sees it as a vintage of incredible pedigree.

2006
Not very expressive on the nose. Cherries. Red fruit on the palate. Tannins present. Rich with a hint of molasses. Long, sour finish. I loved this wine. This, according to Antonio, was a vintage of structured Barolos, masculine and brooding. These wines will be long-lived.

2008
Hints of roses, tar, cigars, tobacco. Antonio saw it as having incredible aromatics and being light and delicate on the palate. He described it as being Pinot-like.

2010
Young. Spice and high-toned red fruits. Not very expressive of traditional Barolo aromas. Structured. Rich. Powerful. Brooding. Antonio considers it the greatest vintage of his time.

Dish
The Ribeye was the best dish plated that night. It was still slightly salty but the meat accommodated it better than any of the other previous dishes could.

Flight 5: Magnum Flight
This flight included the 1986 and 1958 vintages in magnum.

1986
A very special vintage in Piemonte, according to Antonio. This vintage was under the radar. No one had paid any attention to the vintage because of hail. Few producers actually made Barolo in that year. When he speaks to producers who made wine in 1986, they consistently tell him that they prefer the 1986 to the 1985. This magnum was sourced directly from the winery.

Dried rose petals, tar, sauvage, dried herbs, leather, cigar box, and spice. Ripe and lively on the palate. Balanced. Long, sour finish. A beautiful wine. Antonio described it as powerful and pungent.

1958
Antonio thinks that tiis is the greatest wine ever made at Mascarello. The magnum is actually 1.9 L so that it could be used to fill two .750s while leaving the sediment in the wine remaining in the bottle.

Pungent, piercing nose with laser-sharp focus. Tar, roses, cherries, peeled green mangoes, and coriander. Savoriness. Hint of sweetness. Drinking younger than expected.

Used with permission of Vinous Media LLC

This was a great opportunity to taste with, and learn from, one of the notable Barolo experts of our time. And in this regard, the tasting was a success. Antonio's knowledge of the region, producers, and vintages were of inestimable value to the attendees as they worked their way through the wines.

The wines that are on my radar screen coming out of the tasting are 1995, 1996, 1997, and all of the wines in Flights 4 and 5. Of course, the 2010 will not be drinkable for quite a while.

The most disappointing facets of the evening for me was the food and not getting to taste the 1996. There was no standout dish and some of the dishes, in my view were seriously compromised by excessive salt. The glass of 1996 that was brought to my table should not have seen the light of day.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Bartolo Mascarello 1958 - 2010: A Historical Retrospective (with Antonio Galloni)

I am a huge Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino fan and Bartolo Mascarello and Gianfranco Soldera, respectively, are in the top rank of quality producers in those regions. And London, due to its vivacity, culture, food and wine scene, and role as the locus of Europe (and that is not a political statement), is one of my favorite cities in the world. So when Antonio Galloni's Vinous announced back-to-back tastings of multiple vintages of these producers' offerings -- to be held in London on April 26th and 27th -- that was an alignment of all the stars and, hence, a no-brainer for me to sign up.

The first of the two events --- Bartolo Mascarello: A Historical Perspective, 1958 - 2010 -- was a tasting dinner held at the 28º - 50º Maddox Street location. The event was scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm and I was one of the first to arrive. Antonio was still opening wines but Jacquesson Cuvée 738 was available and the Head Sommelier, Louis Dufouleurand, poured me a glass. Accompanying the Champagne was a selection of Charcuterie; Crab Salad, Mango Avocado, and Coriander on Crouton; Mozzarella and Cherry Tomato Bruschetta with Fresh Pesto; and Parmesan and Truffle Arancini.

Crab Salad, Mango Avocado, and Coriander on
Crouton

As the attendees filtered in, I was pleased to recognize a gentleman who had sat at my table in New York City at the Galloni 2010 Brunello di Montalcino tasting. We conversed animatedly for a while. As the room filled, I noted that a number of Americans had crossed the pond to attend the event, one person coming all the way from Los Angeles. At 7:00 pm sharp we were directed to take our seats.

In his opening remarks Antonio mentioned that we would be drinking 18 vintages organized into five flights, each flight with a theme. All of the wines had been sourced from a single owner so provenanace was assured.

He went on to say that Mascarello is a traditional Piemonte producer that had been producing wine in the region for three generations. The first flight -- themed "ready to drink" -- would clearly exhibit the generational shift from Bartolo Mascarello to his daughter Maria Theresa. In Bartolo's days, Mascarello blended vineyards, fermented the grapes together, and allowed the resulting wine to mature slowly. More recently, the aging time has been shortened, the winery (and the wine) has been cleaner, and they now have the equipment to do proper de-stemming. Maria Theresa got rid of the old barrels, she procured a modern de-stemmer, and the grapes are ripening such that it is easier to separate the Nebbiolo stem from the grape.

The two charts following illustrate the viticultural and vinicultural practices of Maria Theresa as she described them in TONG 16.

The flights and themes for the tasting were as follows:

• Flight 1: Ready to Drink (2000, 2003, 2005, 1995)
• Flight 2: Cooler Vintages (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001)
• Flight 3: Classic Vintages (1986, 1989, 1990 1996)
• Flight 4: Four Greatest of Recent Vintages (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010)
• Flight 5: Because We Can (My characterization -- 1986 in Magnum, 1958 in Magnum).

I will report on the actual tasting in a follow-up post.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Wine Art Estate (Mikrochori, Greece): Stellar food and vibrant wines

Wine Art Estate's goal is to demonstrate how well selected indigenous and international varieties perform in the microclimate of its native Drama. And, based on our experiences there during our North Greece tour, they are well on the way to accomplishing that goal.

The estate is the result of a cooperation between two professionals: Yiannis Papadopoulos, a successful civil engineer, and Yiannis Kalïtzidis, an equally successful architect (and, by the way, a "master chef", as I will explain later). Papadopoulos initiated the venture in 1993 by planting a small family vineyard and vinifying the produce. Kalïtzidis joined forces with him two years later. And the rest is history.

We arrived at the estate in the early evening after fairly intense sessions at Stelios Kechris and Ktima Biblia Chora, and long rides in between. We were welcomed warmly by Akis Papadopoulos (son of the founder and winemaker) and his father.

Wine Art Estate at our arrival

Akis and Yiannis Papadopoulos, Wine Art Estate

After introductions, Akis led us into the cellar for a tour. Before proceeding further, though, I would like to provide some details regarding the estate.

The winery, and 16 ha of the estate's 26 ha of vineyards, are located in Mikrochori, a village in the Macedonian prefecture of Drama (see map below). An additional 10 ha of vineyards is being planted in Kali Vrisi, an area close to the Bulgarian border.

Location of Wine Art Estate indicated by red arrow

The climate in Drama is semi-continental with 2017.75 degree days and 264.4 mm of rain annually. The estate's vineyards sit on well-drained, red-brown sandy clay soils which are blessed with good structure and bountiful organic matter (The lower soil layers in Mikrochori are compact). The vineyards lie on south-facing slopes at altitudes ranging between 90 and 275 m.

Wine Art Estate currently plants four indigenous (Assyrtiko, Agiortiko, Limnio) and eight international (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Sangioveses, Nebbiolo, Touriga Nacional) varieties. The scions are spur-pruned on bilateral cordons and are grafted onto a number of rootstocks to include 110R, 140RUG, 1103P, 41B, and SO4. Row orientation is north-south in Mikrochori and west-east in Kali Vrisi.

Now back to the tour of the winery.

The facility is comprised of two structures -- each possessing above- and below-ground aspects -- located on two sides of a bisecting road and connected by a broad underground tunnel which doubles as a barrel storage room. One of the structures serves as the wine production facility while the other services the commercial aspects of the business.

As we went through the cellar, Akis explained its operation as well as their practices. He was especially proud of the rotary fermenter -- employed in red wine production -- and the electronic monitoring system which allows centralized monitoring of tank operations. The winery has a 300,000 bottle capacity.

Source: Wine Art Estate

Source: Wine Art Estate

After our tour of the wine production area we made our way through the tunnel to the building on the other side of the street. Once on the other side we came up one level to the tasting room which had been set up for a wine tasting dinner for the bloggers.

The first wine poured was the 2013 Techni Alipias, an 80/20 Sauvignon Blanc-Assyrtiko blend. The wine was aromatic with a grassy nose accompanying grapefruit and tropical aromas. The minerality and mouthfeel reflected the Assyrtiko contribution. Bright acidity with some bitterness and a lengthy finish. The wine was further complexed by the grilled eggplant with which it was paired.

Grilled Eggplant

The next wine up was a 2015 Malagousia. This wine exhibited fruity and floral aromas and a slight reductiveness. White flower, white peach, white melon. Uber pleasant. Paired with a feta and pesto dish.

Feta with Pesto

Our third dish was a stunning sauteed octopus in olive oil. It was paired with the 2011and 2014 Assyrtikos. The 2011 Assyrtiko was tank fermented. Less mineral than Santorini Assyrtikos. As is the case for all the estate's white varieties, the fruit was sourced from the Kali Vrisi vineyard. Citrus and complex tropical fruit suggestive of riper grapes. Citrus rind. The 2014 Assyrtiko was barrel-aged and showed toast notes and grapefruit. The oak was beautifully integrated. Akis indicated that the toast levels for the barrels were medium.

Octopus

The 2014 Chardonnay spent six months on oak. Sweet vanilla notes and great acidity. A burnt toast flavor is late-arriving. This could be a Chardonnay in the class of Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay or Capensis were it not for an overt oak presence.

The Techni Alipias Rosé 2014 is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and Nebbiolo. A complex nose, inclusive of vanilla notes, but simple on the palate. Paired with a squid risotto.

Squid Risotto

The Techni Alipias Red 2012 is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Agiorgitiko. On the nose red fruit, raspberry, cocoa, chocolate. Spice and softness on the palate. Ripe fruit. Easy drinking. This was paired with a Beef Loin and Sweet Potato/Carrot side.

Beef Loin with Sweet Potato/Carrot side

After the Tecni Alipias Red, we turned to the varietal red wines: 2010 Syrah, 2011 Merlot, and 2007 Nebbiolo. The Syrah showed notes of meat, blood, fruit and a brambliness. On the palate it was softer and rounder than its Northern Rhone counterparts. The Merlot had a nice nose with dark ripe fruits, chocolate, and earth. Good acidity and a spiciness. The Nebbiolo exhibited traditional tar and roses but, in addition, showed perfumed cassis, nutmeg, and stemminess. The attack was unimpressive but the mid-palate was superb and it ended with a long, elegant finish.

After the final dish was consumed and cleared, the Chef made his way up to the dining room and was revealed to be Yiannis Kalïtzidis, the co-owner. This guy is obviously restless. He was not busy enough in his professional career so he went out and partnered with his friend to found and grow one of the highest-quality wineries in Macedonia. Not satisfied with that, he takes the time to turn out restaurant-quality food to restaurant-sized audiences. Amazingly accomplished man.

Yiannis Kalïtzidis

This was a very pleasant visit for the group. The wines of the estate are of excellent quality and has that characteristic across the board. We encountered many very good wines on this trip but there were only two estates where the quality stayed at an extremely high level across the entire product line. And Wine Art Estate was one of those properties. Unlike the practice at many of its contemporaries, this estate has only three blends, a key tell that it is really focused on the goal of demonstrating the Drama microclimate effects in its wines.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Ktima Kir Yianni (Amynteo and Naoussa, Greece): The estate and its wines

"Xinomavro is the noble grape of Greece with Naoussa appellation wines characterized by complexity, structure, and character while Anyndeon wines are characterized by elegance, aroma, and freshness." So said Stellios Boutaris (Winemaker and CEO, Ktima Kir-Yianni) while discussing (during a Wine Bloggers' tour of the estate) the dual terroirs from which the grapes used in the estate's wines are sourced.

We had arrived early for a vineyard tour and tasting and had been welcomed by the aforementioned Stellios and Lambros Papadimitriou (Director of Sales and Marketing). We were to be joined by a group of Austrian Somms but they had been up late tasting with the Naoussa producers. No worries. We decided to proceed and they would join in upon arrival.

Stellios Boutaris, Winemaker and CEO, Kir-Yianni

Lambros Papadimitriou, Dir., Sales and
Marketing, Kir-Yianni

Vineyard around Kir-Yianni winery in Naoussa

After some dialogue in the area outside the vineyard, and on the winery portico, we repaired to a conference room for a more detailed presentation and a tasting of the wines.

The Naoussa vineyard was bought by Boutari -- the leading Greek wine brand -- in the 1960s and had a number of managers before eventually being managed by Yiannis Boutaris between the 1970s and 1990s. In 1997 Yiannis spun off two of the enterprise's most prominent vineyards to form Kir-Yianni with the goal of creating a "super-premium" Greek wine estate. Yiannis was joined by his son Stellios who took over the reins in 1999.

As intimated previously, Kir-Yianni has holdings in both the Naoussa and Amyndeon appellations. The Naoussa vineyard (55 ha) is in the area of Yiannakohori, in the northern part of the appellation and was originally planted in the 1960s. There have been three stages in its development:

Early 19790s

• Planted with 50 ha of Xinomavro
• Trained vertical shoot positioning

1985 - 1990

• Much of the vineyard uprooted and replanted with Merlot and Syrah
• Believed to be suited to the microclimate of the region
• Believed to give great results when combined with Xinomavro

2004

• 15 ha replanted with Xinomavro and other Greek and international varieties

The vineyard is divided into 40 separate plots based on soil properties, reliefs, and the different varieties/clones. Vine density is between 2900 and 4000 vines/ha with each vine yielding 2 to 2.5 kg of fruit. Seventy percent of the vineyard is still old vines with the Xinomavro vines averaging 25 years of age.

The Naoussa vineyard produces big reds from Xinomavro (50%), Merlot (20%), Syrah (15%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), and other experimental varieties.

We did not visit the Kir-Yianni Amyndeon vineyard but our understanding is that it is 18 ha in size at 700 m altitude. In addition to owned grapes, Kir-Yianni controls an additional 40 ha through contractual agriculture. The varieties planted in Amyndeon include Xinomavro, Roditis, Malagousia, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewurtztraminer.

A total of 18 wines were presented for the team to taste: two sparkling wines (one of which was a rosé); four whites; one rosé; three red blends; and eight Xinomavro reds. Stellios had indicated that Greeks love Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc blends and half of the white wines reflected a bow to that market reality. In general, blends play a significant role in the estate's offerings: excluding a single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc and the Xinomavro wines, all of the remaining wines are blends. This focus on blends reflects another reality of the marketplace as related by Stellios: they operate in a brand-driven local market.

The estate began making a sparkling wine 5 years ago and today have two of these wines on the market. The Paranga sparkling is a blend while the Akakies sparkling is 100% Xinomavro. Both are made via the Charmat method, an approach which may be questioned in light of the comparatively stellar sparkling wines produced by Domaine Karanika in similar terroir conditions in Amyndeon.

As regards the Xinomavro wines, the estate's strategy is to produce a new generation of Xinomavro products and, to that end (according to Yiannis Karakassas MW), are employing clones that provide better ripeness in the fruit. The staples that were presented to us were one PDO each from Naousa and Amyndeon and a Xinomavro (with a small dose of Syrah) labeled PGI Imathia. In addition, we were allowed to taste four unreleased wines made from single-block grapes and one single-block wild ferment.

At the conclusion of the tasting we went back out onto the portico for a snack and some more wine.

All in all, an insightful visit.

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Whites
Paranga Sparkling (Roditis-Malvasia-Xinomavro) -- Pleasant; pleasing fresh fruit and residual sugar balanced by bright acidity; drying finish; spiciness.
Paranga White/Petra 2014 (Roditis 80% - Malagousia 20%) -- Melony, white fruit character; lees richness; citrus rind; white stone fruit.
Ktima Kir-Yianni Samaropetra Vineyard 2014 (Roditis 50% - Sauvignon Blanc 50%) -- Peach; rich, tropical notes; rich lees; citrus; broad-based.
Tesseris Limnes 2014 (Chardonnay 60% - Gewurtztraminer 40%) -- Tropical notes; bitter acidity; weighty.
Droumo 2014 (Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc) -- Not aromatic; broad-based acidity; balanced; more of an old world style.

Red Blends
Paranga 2013 (Merlot 50% - Xinomavro 25% - Syrah 25%) -- Oak, bright stemmy fruit; cocoa; semi-bubble-gum character; phenolic; barky.
Ktima Kir-Yianni Yianakohori Hills 2012 (Xinomavro 50% - Merlot 30% - Syrah 20%) -- Elegance; black fruit; soft; round; non-complex with medium finish.
Dyo Elies (Syrah 60% - Merlot 30% - Xinomavro 10%) -- dark fruit; front-loaded; good acidity; tannin bomb.

Rosé
Akakies Rosé 2014 (Xinomavro) -- Dark rose color; strawberry; weighty with high acidity.

Reds
Kali Riza 2013 (PDO Amyndeon Xinomavro Old Vines) -- Tomato, red cherries; bright tannins; good acidity; balanced.
Ramnista 2011 and 2005 (PDO Naoussa Xinomavro) -- More muted on nose; spicy; more vegetal character but more elegance. The 2005 exhibited some more developmental characteristics to include truffles and kerosene.
Ramnista Siniatsi (block 9) 2011 (PDO Naoussa Xinomavro) -- Fresh on nose; leather; big acidity; lighter color than block 15.
Ramnista Cyclamina (block 15) 2011 (PDO Naoussa Xinomavro) -- Dark fruits; plumminess; spice; hint of dates and stewed fruit.
Ramnista LImni (block 5) 2011 -- More robust on the nose with a little mintiness; great palate feel; vegetality; beautiful wine.


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

The best sparkling wines you have never heard of: Domaine Karanika, Amynteo, Greece

My initial exposure to Domaine Karanika came about during my trip to Athens in February of this year to participate in the #Winelovers 4th Anniversary Celebration. I was on my third visit to Vintage Wine Bar & Bistro, this latter visit prompted by my encounter on the previous evening with the 1999 Domaine Economou Sitia, a Liatiko-based wine which I found to be extremely pleasurable and which exhibited great persistence, as regards my thought process, on the following day. So much so that I convinced Brandon Tokash and a number of other Winelovers to revisit the bar with me (Brandon and I went initially and the others followed after a stop at Fabrica).

When Panos Kyriazis (co-proprietor at Vintage) set two sparkling wines on the table for Brandon and me to try, my mind was still on the Liatiko . The first sparkling wine that we tried -- the Amalia Brut -- did nothing to distract me from that single-minded pursuit but the second, the Karanika Brut Cuvée Speciale, was truly an eye-opening wine. I was very impressed with it both as a standalone as well as paired with the restaurant's butterflied shrimp tartare. In my notes I mentioned that "maybe (Xinomavro) producers from the region should spend some more time looking at this solution."

Since coming back to the US I have purchased a couple of cases of the wine and drunk a number of bottles. In this post I share what I have learned about the producer and its sparkling wines since that initial encounter.

Domaine Karanika is located in the Amynteo region of Macedonia, an area which I have previously described. The winery was founded by Laurens M. Hartman-Karanika and Annette van Kampen, a husband-and-wife team who, like John Shafer of Shafer Vineyards, left management positions in the publishing industry to pursue dreams of creating a business in the wine industry. The key difference here is that John's path led from Illinois to Napa's Stags Leap District while our subjects' journey took them from the Netherlands to Amynteo. Today Laurens functions as the domaine's oenologist while Annette is the vineyardist.

The overarching philosophy of the estate is minimalism incorporating practices such as:

• Organic farming with elements of biodynamics
• Cover crops for soil revitalization
• Gravity flow in the winery to minimize handling
• Natural-yeasts fermentation
• Minimal sulfite addition and use of Montmorillonite clay for filtering only when absolutely necessary

The first chart below illustrates the soil distribution in the major grape-growing regions of Amynteo while the second chart depicts the Karanika vineyard locations, varieties, and the destination of the grapes from the individual vineyards. Vineyard management practices are also summarized in the second chart.

Domaine Karanika produces a number of still wines but I have not tasted any of them as yet and, to that extent, they are not covered in this post. Rather, my focus is on the sparkling wines.

The table below summarizes the specs for the three sparkling wines that are produced by the estate: two 100% Xinomavro wines and one Assyrtiko-Xinomavro blend, a relatively recent addition to the product line.

In an interview with the Greek magazine Monopole, Laurens was asked what made him decide to use Xinomavro as the varietal base of his sparkling wines. Laurens indicated that he had tasted some Blanc de Noirs in Amynteo and Naoussa in 2003, and, having some experience with Blanc de Noirs from Epernay, immediately knew that Xinomavro would be the perfect grape for a Blanc de Noir. The only question was whether it could provide a high-quality mousse, a question which was answered affirmatively by subsequent research.

During my recent passage through North Greece, I tasted a few sparkling wines but none come close to the Karanika Brut Cuvee Speciale, especially due to the fact that they mostly employ the Charmat Method. I have written a 10-part series on this blog comparing Champagne, Franciacorta, Prosecco, and Cava and I have not encountered examples from the latter three which excite me as much as does the Karanika product.

And I am not alone in my enthusiasm. Both Graperover, and the aforementioned Monopole, refer to the comments made by Tom Stevenson, the noted Champagne and Sparkling wine critic, about Domaine Karanika sparkling wines. I reproduce below a Tom Stevenson quote currently resident on the Graperover site:

I shall be keeping a very close eye on Laurens Hartman in the future. He has the potential to produce a world class sparkling wine and of all the budding new sparkling wine superstars I am currently following, Hartman is the only one not using classic Champagne grape varieties. Xinomavro's naturally high acid and intrinsically low color makes it the obvious choice for anyone trying to craft a sparkling wine that is expressive of its Greek roots, but seldom have I come across any artisanal sparkling wine that is as polished as Hartman's 2010-based second release of Domaine Karanika Xinomavro Brut. It has a silky smooth mousse that most champenois would die for. ... it is already the best sparkling wine produced in Greece ... it is only a matter of time and experience before Hartman crafts something truly world class.

Since my return from Greece, I have hunted these wines down relentlessly. I have not been able to locate the Assyrtiko-Xinomavro blend but have been able to order cases of both the Cuvee Speciale and the Rosé from MacArthur Beverages in Wasington DC. I have drunk these wines alone, with food, and with Champagnes of varying caliber and never have they appeared miscast.

The Cuvee Speciale shows its true character if allowed to remain on the palate briefly allowing an opportunity for the bubbles to ennervate said palate both with their vigor as well as the bursts of lemom-lime acidity, reminiscent of eating Pop Rocks candy. That lemon-lime acidity morphs into a distinct tamarind character. The yeasty/bready character of many double ferments is not readily apparent, a result of relatively short sur lie residence. The Rosé drinks easily with distinct raspberry notes, great acidity, and persistence.

My next goal is to get my hands on the Assyrtiko-Xinomavro blend so that I can see how far forward Domaine Karanika has moved the chains to what Tom Stevenson predicts will be "something truly world class." In my estimation, Domaine Karanika is already ahead of much of the world with the in-place product lineup. And don't get me started on the QPR associated with these products.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme