A burst of the Greek sun (June 2021) | Vinous

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A burst of Greek sun

BY NEAL MARTIN | JUNE 29, 2021

In my obituary for Harry Gill, I mentioned that our last conversation was about a long-proposed tasting of wines from his beloved homeland, Greece. He still held court at his restaurant bar, serving and celebrating Greek wines in his unmistakable way. Some didn’t quite match his enthusiasm, but every once in a while I would discover an absolute gem like Hatzidakis Winery’s Assyrtiko that could take you to a sunny Mediterranean island on the most winter afternoon. rainy.

Although Harry is no longer with us, he had already arranged for the delivery of these wines before his death, so I decided to post notes on these two dozen bottles. Naturally, it would be foolish to draw general conclusions from this small number, but Harry’s selections highlighted the quality produced and perhaps revealed where the wines aren’t as successful. While we associate Greece with hot summers, it is actually blessed with cooler mesoclimates due to altitude or exposure, especially on its countless islands.

As much as I would like to praise a wine made from an indigenous grape variety, one of the most beautiful reds turned out to be a Syrah, the 2018 Kings of the Mountains of Papargyriou Cave. Syrah arguably travels better than any other red grape, and this wine takes 100% new French oak in its stride, bursting with black fruit and floral tropes associated with grape. The palate is opulent but beautifully controlled. Likewise, the 2017 Agios Chronos of Avantis offers further proof that Syrah thrives in these climates. But come on, there must be a representation of a Greek variety! It came thanks to a charming 2016 Agiorgitiko of Devil in the sub-region of Nemea and the 2016 Xinomavro Unique Vineyard Diasporas of Kir-yianni in Naoussa. One of the best reds was definitely the 2018 Mavrotragano of Sigalas wine on the island of Santorini. The wine offers a seductive nose of tangy red cherry tinged with menthol and a very convincing mineral palate that one would assume to come from a much cooler microclimate. Some reds turned out to be a bit too heavy and rather generic, perhaps mimicking Rhône or Bordeaux too much and losing some of their personality.

I’ve been an admirer of the whites of the island of Santorini since the salad days of my career, and a couple of examples here haven’t disappointed. the 2017 Skitali of Hatzidakis wine estate, pure Assyrtiko aged on fine lees, has a divine nose of beeswax and honeysuckle and a saline finish that makes you think you are sipping it on a white sand beach overlooking an azure sea, instead of an industrial estate just outside of rainy Guildford. I enjoyed the 2019 Aspros Lagos, a pure Vidiano from the Cave Douloufakis, especially for its tangy mouth with a waxy texture and Museum Collection 2017 of Ktima Gerovassiliou, which presents to the nose like a weakly botrytised Sauternes, then reveals a lively mouth of melon and grapefruit and an almost Alsatian finish. It is one of those wines that needs time to open up, but the more I got to know, the more I fell in love.

This wine selection has proven once again that Greece is capable of producing excellent wines, often selling for far less than classic Old World regions. Perhaps what deters potential consumers is the pronunciation, which is admittedly not the easiest, but the same could be said of many twirling German wines and even French chateaux. Thank you, Harry, the Dionysos of Swiss Cottage, for all the Greek wine you opened. Hope to taste more in the future.

© 2021, Vinous. No part of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without the prior consent of Vinous. This not only constitutes a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.


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