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By Kim
Marcus, Wine Spectator
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Greek culture and wine have been constant companions since the
foundations of Western civilization were laid almost three millennia
ago. From Homer's wine-dark sea to scenes of enjoyment on the
ancient drinking vessels called kraters to the amphorae that lie at
the bottom of the Aegean, wine has deep roots in the Greek psyche.
In addition, Greek traders and colonists spread the culture of the
vine throughout the Mediterranean world in antiquity.
For all that history, Greece remains virtually unexplored terrain
for most modern-day wine drinkers. The lingering image of retsina,
the resinated, pungently flavored white associated with taverna
cuisine, has not helped encourage curiosity. Then there are the
language barriers, along with scores of native grape varieties with
difficult-to-pronounce names, such as the red Xinomavro
[zee-noe-mahv-roe] and the white Moschofilero [moe-skoe-FEE-li-roe],
two of Greece's leading wine grapes.
Yet the modern world has been remaking Greece. It joined the
European Union in 1981, a move that has helped improve wine quality
by standardizing the country's appellation system and quality
protocols. Greece has never been more open to outside influences,
and the coming of the Olympics this summer promises to open it even
further. As explored in "A Greek Idyll," page 64, Greek wines are
naturally suited to the nation's hearty cuisines. The island of
Crete, where the diet is rich in whole grains, olive oil, vegetables
and wine, was the original terrain for research on the
"Mediterranean diet." The wines of Greece, however, have yet to
experience such notoriety.
"In my opinion, Greece has stayed in the backwater. The Greeks
haven't really entered the world market and have remained isolated,"
says Sotiris Bafitis, a Maryland-based importer of Greek wines.
Bafitis, 34, a Greek-American, handles several boutique wineries and
offers a cogent analysis of the state of the Greek wine industry
today.
"It's a balancing act. The Greek vintners that I represent want
to be in the mainstream market but they want to be authentic,"
Bafitis explains. The tension arises from the push of international
varieties and the pull of their native vines. This is a thread that
Greece shares with other emerging nations on the international wine
stage, such as Portugal. "For many years, the Greeks were
embarrassed to show their native varieties and instead focused on
French varieties [such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot]."
Whether Greece ultimately achieves consistent quality will much
depend on how the balancing act between native and international
varieties plays out. It will also depend on how much attention
vintners pay to improving quality in the vineyards and how they
utilize modern technology in the cellar. Then there are the physical
constraints of the Greek climate: The hot, dry Mediterranean summer
is a challenge for even the best grapegrowers. Most of the leading
vineyards are located at elevations 1,000 to 2,500 feet above sea
level to take advantage of cooler temperatures that allow the grapes
to ripen more evenly.
While nearly every district in Greece produces wine, there are
two major regions that offer quality bottlings. One of the most
extensively developed is in northern Greece near the port city of
Thessaloniki, the historic heart of Macedonia. This includes the
mountainous area known as Naoussa. In the southern reaches of
mainland Greece lies the Peloponnese, home to appellations such as
Nemea, near the town of Nafplion, and the high-altitude zone of
Mantinia. Two other areas are also noteworthy, though their wines
can be rustic: Cephalonia, off the western coast in the Ionian
Islands, best known for the Robola grape; and Santorini, which
offers both table wines and dessert wines. The island of Samos can
also make some fairly unctuous dessert wines.
Yiannis Boutaris, the articulate owner of Kir-Yianni, one of the
wineries on Bafitis' roster, says Greek wines deserve attention
because they offer unique flavors that spring from the 300 varieties
he cites as native to Greece. "It's not a matter of Greek wine or
not. It's a question of variety. The essence of wine drinking for a
wine lover is trying varieties from all over." His winery, based in
northern Greece, is one of the most renowned of the new wave of
producers. He founded Kir-Yianni in 1996 after splitting with his
brother Constantine at the family's J. Boutari winery, one of
Greece's largest.
Kir-Yianni makes a wide range of wines; the best ones are fresh,
lively and well-priced, such as the Amyndeon Akakies Rosé 2002. It
scored 81 points (or good) on Wine Spectator's 100-point scale and
costs $10 a bottle. It is made from the full-flavored Xinomavro,
which Kir-Yianni utilizes in many of its wines.
The three top-scoring wines in this report are red. The Arkas
Peloponnese Spiropoulos Porfyros 2001 (87, $16) represents the best
value. It is a blend of the Greek grape Agiorgitiko (which
translates as "St.-George"), Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It is
robust and medium- to full-bodied, marked by dark plum, cherry and
spice flavors that would go well with roasted meats. The other top
reds are the graceful Skouras Nemea Grande Cuvée 2000 (87, $20),
made entirely from Agiorgitiko and featuring bright red fruit
flavors and touches of mineral on the finish; and Domaine Constantin
Lazaridi Macedonia Amethystos Cava 2000 (87, $30), a Cabernet
Sauvignon with dark cherry flavors and smoky notes. In the Greek
quality system, "cava" means a wine has been aged at least three
years, with six to 12 months of barrel aging.
Among the whites, one of the most distinctive and affordable is
the Boutari Moschofilero Mantinia 2002 (85, $9). It is an aromatic,
light- to medium-bodied white offering pear and peach flavors; it
makes a fine aperitif.
Other well-priced bottlings include Domaine Constantin Lazaridi
Macedonia Amethystos White 2002 (86, $14), a ripe and
well-structured blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and the versatile
Greek grape Assyrtiko; and the Vatistas Monemvasia White 2002 (85,
$12), which has pleasant green peach, mineral and spice flavors.
Most Greek wines are priced in the $10 to $20 range, with a
ceiling of about $30. While many of the smaller producers offer
good-quality wines, it may be easier to tap into the wines of larger
concerns such as Boutari, or Skouras, which offers a solid,
well-priced range of Greek and international varietals. Besides the
above-mentioned wines from Arkas, Lazaridi and Vatistas, Alexandros
Megapanos and Karipidis are producers that scored well in my
tasting. A total of 74 wines were tasted for this report, almost
three-fourths of which scored 80 points or higher, or good to very
good. Most of the wines are best drunk young, especially the whites
and rosés; within two to four years of release for the better reds.
Greece's best wines are yet to come. The native varieties indeed
offer distinctive flavors, and when handled properly can also blend
well with international grape varieties. Emerging wine regions such
as Greece usually take a while to hit their stride, but the raw
materials are at hand. Whether quality improves enough for Greek
wines to make an impact on the world scene is up to the vintners.
Managing editor Kim Marcus is Wine Spectator's lead
taster on the wines of Greece.
| Wine |
Score |
Price |
Red Wines
| Medium- to full-bodied,
with an inky color and flavors of dark plum, cherry and spice.
A robust red with a tannic finish; would go well with roasted
meats. |
| Balanced and flavorful,
with raspberry and dark cherry flavors, with smoky notes. Good
concentration, clean finish. |
| Graceful red, with bright
plum and red cherry flavors, edged by pretty spicy and smoky
notes. Touches of richness on the minerally finish. |
| Raspberry and red cherry
flavors are smooth and supple in this medium-bodied red. Tea
and spice notes on the finish. |
| Spicy aroma, with flavors
of red plum, cherry and cardamom, which linger on the silky
finish. Try with lamb. |
| Wine |
Score |
Price |
White and Dessert Wines
| Fairly rich, with aromas
of smoke and spice, and flavors of ripe fig and pear. Good
structure and length on the finish. |
| Rich, dessert-style white,
with crème brûlée flavors that linger on the finish with
citrusy notes. |
| Good intensity to the ripe
pear, smoke and apple flavors. Butterscotch notes fill the
clean finish. |
| Aromas of pear and peach
dominate this medium-bodied white. Finishes with a slightly
off-dry note. |
| Well-structured, with
mineral and green apple flavors, and notes of mango and
tropical fruits, which lengthen out on the finish. |
| Good structure and
intensity, with pleasant green peach, mineral and spice
flavors. Smoky notes on the finish. |
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