A Tribute to 1973

15 June 2013:  A thoughtfully created 7-course menu was designed by Chef Daniel Negreira to accompany 14 bottles of fine examples from the 1973 vintage (plus a 1937 bottle). As we marvelled at the culinary creations, we were even more overwhelmed by how well the wines from this lesser vintage performed on this evening.




The 73 line-up of champagnes.  I need to get better at photography!

 Our host greeted us with a glass of 1973 Philipponnat Royale Reserve. A champagne made mainly with Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes. A pale salmon-orange colour. A very enticing bouquet of broom and forest berry preserve with subtle notes of nutmeg and toasted brioche. Delicate mousse, gently delivering the layered detail, with a fleshy mouthfeel. Good acidity. A touch of savoury on the lingering finish. Very fine. 18/20



73 DP Oenotheque on left.

 It was quite hard to decide which of the 1973 Dom Perignon and 1973 DP Oenothèque I preferred. Each delivered a very individual performance. The 73 Dom Perignon was a bright amber hue with golden highlights. An opulent bouquet reminiscent of toasted hazelnuts, ripe pear, honey, marmalade layered with caramel, toasty and smokey notes. Well kept structure with creamy mousse and fine bubbles. Nice freshness giving a nice lift to the rich mouthfeel. Long finish. 18/20 (Chef Daniel paired this with a zesty tangerine jellied foie gras ball, on a bed of whole grain toast! Great job with the pairing!)

1973 Dom Perignon Oenothèque. We didn't have the exact disgorgement date. Colour was a medium lemon. Apple, pear, citrus with tropical notes of pineapple and some candied fruit and almond aromas. Plenty of youthful vigour here. Long long finish. Still much to come in its evolution. 18.5+/20


73 Krug Collection on left.



1973 Krug. Deep amber gold robe. Quite evolved but not at all past its best. I quite liked the mature bouquet of coffee, hazelnuts, dried fruit and burnt sugar aromas. Delicate mousse. Medium finish. A fine marriage with sliced abalone in porcini consomme. 17/20

1973 Krug Collection. This came directly from the Krug Cellars. Disgorged at the same time as the Krug vintage but kept in the cool damp cellars until recently. Medium golden robe. Citrus, dried fruit, ripe pear and apple. Creamy mousse. Elegant and stylish if a little short on finish. 17.5/20

1993 Le Montrachet, Leflaive (This bottle had come from a recent auction in HK.) A medium golden hue. Intense and rich nose. Much more evolved than expected. Torrefaction notes on the nose and palate: ripe pear tart, grilled almonds, coffee and honey. Full bodied and unctuous, still showing a firm acidity bolstering the rich concentrated flavours. Perhaps a little too rich for me. Drink now. 17/20

By contrast the 1985 Le Montrachet, Ramonet showed much more minerality, youthful vigour, energy and a lilthe frame that belied that power and depth. A pale medium lemon colour. Citrus and mineral notes dominate the palate. Vibrant acidity. Finishes long with a chalky and saline note, not too dissimilar to a Chablis Grand Cru. A glorious example yet to reach its prime. Drink now and over next 10-15 years. 19/20

The Spanish selection made a very fine pair and the chef prepared a classic dish to go with them - confit of suckling pork rib, with a Marsala sauce and candied tomato, complete with crispy piggy tail, pig's ear and goose liver. I can only say that the pork rib was really delicious!) The 1973 Vega Sicilia Unico showed a deep ruby colour with just a little bricking at the rim. Red cherry with leather, tobacco and earthy notes. A little meaty on the palate. Good concentration. Medium finish. A robust well structured 1973 that does not quite have the finesse of the La Rioja Alta. Drinking very well now and over next 8-10 years. 17.5/20

The 1973 Centenario Gran Reserva, La Rioja Alta was sublime. A medium garnet hue. Notes of floral, red fruit and leather. The palate is refined, showing silky texture , elegant freshness, subtlety and depth at the same time. Finishes very long. What a beauty! Drink now and over next 8-10 years. 19/20


The 1973 Hospices de Beaune Corton Cuvée Docteur Peste (bought by Augustus Barnett of London and raised by (élevé par) Robert Sarrau) initially showed a bit of volatility and later revealed a bouquet of red fruit, spice and nutty/coffee notes with some caramel. Still holding out but didnt quite have the elegance, complexity and length of the next wine! 16.5/20



Duck tiramisu

 1973 Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Rousseau stunned us with its timeless elegance, complexity of dried rose petals, dried fruit, tea leaves, nutmeg, earthy and coffee notes, together with freshness and an unmistakable Burgundian character and silky allure within a mid weight frame. Not the most powerful and structured Clos de Bèze but certainly very elegant. Finishes long. While there is no hurry to drink this up at all, I probably would not recommend holding on for too long either. Drink over next 6-8 years... 18.5/20 (Gorgeous with the duck tiramisu!)



The fine examples from Bourgogne in 1973 and 1937!

 The 1973 La Tâche, DRC is a credible effort but falls short on complexity, concentration and length. A light weight La Tâche. Deep garnet. Floral, spicy and earthy notes adorn the bouquet but the palate lacks depth. Not very exciting. 16.5/20

The 1937 Chambertin, Bouchard shows a deep garnet colour. It is monstrous in its concentration still. Blackberry and black cherry with liquorice and earthy nuances. Quite intense and muscular if a little marred by volatile acidity. The power and intensity here belie its age. Missing some elegance. 16.5/20 (72 hour slow-cooked lamb with cumin flavoured chick peas was the dish to go with this.......nice!)

1973 Romanée Saint Vivant, Savin Fils, was a goner. Pale tawny colour. Heavy nail varnish.

Finally the 1973 Château d'Yquem. A deep golden robe. Aromas of marmalade, honey and dried apricot. Nicely balanced. Doesnt have the exhilarating complexity or deep concentration of a great Yquem. 16.5/20


Thank you so much to our generous hosts for sharing these 1973 bottles with us! And what a privilege to have so many fine surprises!

An Authentic Expression: Timorasso

11 Jun 2013: I was very excited to try this bottle of 2010 Derthona Costa del Vento, by Walter Massa. I didn't know anything about this grape variety nor winemaker. Timorasso is the grape variety, native to Colli Tortonesi, in the province of Alessandria, Piemonte, bordering with Lombardia.  It grows well on calcareous-clay soils, to quite low yields.  Situated next door to Gavi, Timorasso had long been overlooked in the frenzy about refreshing, candied fruit flavoured Cortese, until one man championed its revival with a very singular passion, on initially a 1.5-hectare vineyard - Walter Massa of Vigneti Massa, based in Monleale, a town atop the Colli Tortonesi.  The answer to his conviction was in the bottle.  What a discovery! A medium gold hue.  With an hour of decanting, we were already in awe of the irresistible bouquet of honeysuckle, apricot, quince, candied fruit, layered with smoke, honey, toasted almonds and a light gingery spice.  And it kept evolving.... Creamy texture, laced with intense minerality underlying those rich flavours, giving an unctuous and vinous feel to the palate. A good acidity level gave vibrant lift to the lingering complex finish. This is not your typical quaffing wine but a serious wine that has yet to reach its apogee, at around 4 - 5 years after bottling. At 14.5% abv, I would probably have it later in the year, in the autumn/winter months - white truffle season! This will drink well for another 6 - 8+ years. Surprisingly no wood had been used here....made with indigenous yeast, with maceration of around 48 - 60 hours before pressing, fermentation temperature at about 18 - 22 degrees, vinification and ageing in stainless steel tanks, with regular batonnage.  It made a very nice pairing with the pasta with chicken gravy and truffle at Amuse Bouche!  This is the entry level of Massa's Timorasso range (I will be very happy to give it a rating of 17.5+/20.)....the cru called Strepi is apparently even more ethereal.   I would love to try it! (I thought it was DOC Colli Tortonesi, but I cannot find it anywhere on the label....)

The same evening, we also had 2 Barolos by Aldo Conterno, both decanted for about an hour and a half before we tried them.  2001 Gran Bussia Riserva and 2004 Romirasco. The 2004 Romirasco (from vineyard in Bussia, Monforte) was clearly the red wine of the night. A headturning intense and complex bouquet of tar, roses, mint, liquorice, plum and dark red cherry preserve notes, with some meaty and earthy nuances.  There is no question of its opulence and power, even before tasting.  On the palate, it was velvety and lush, full bodied, well balanced with vibrant acidity and firm tannin. There was a classy sophistication and elegance underneath the superficial big-ness and muscular structure. Drink now and over next 10 - 15 years.  18.5/20 The last time the Romirasco was bottled was in 1993.  This vineyard would normally go straight into the Gran Bussia Riserva blend.  There was no Riserva in 2004, as the Cicala vineyard was severely damaged by hail in 2004.  Fermentation of the Romirasco would take place in stainless steel tanks and the vines are roughly around 50 - 55 years old.  Skin contact would be around 30 days.  Ageing in large Slavonian casks for about 30 months.

The 2001 Gran Bussia Riserva delivered lovely aromatics, notes of dried rose petals, red fruit, tar, liquorice and herbal.  This seemed still quite youthful, with no sign of tertiary character.  Quite subdued on the palate, the finesse was apparent in the medium-bodied frame, but the flavours seemed a little short-lived leading to the finish.  Perhaps we're encountering this wine in the closed-up phase?  Drink now and over next 10+ years.  17/20  I had higher expectations for this wine which is a blend of the 3 vineyards, Romarisco, Cicala and Colonnello, in the proportion of 70%, 15% and 15% respectively, made in limited quantities and only in the best years.  Only the oldest vines would make it into the blend.  Fermentation and skin contact during 60 days in large Slavonian casks before ageing for 32 months. Only released after 7 years in cellar.

The 1971 Giacomo Conterno Barolo turned out to be a dud (expectedly)......and the 1997 Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis was a little too super-ripe for our liking.  Notes of kirsch, black cherry, liquorice, tar, herbal, sun-dried fruit and even a hint of caramel on the bouquet.  Nicely balanced, with ripe tannin and a good dose of acidity, but the concentration on the palate was almost brutish.  Drink now and over next 5 - 6+ years. (Perhaps we should also revisit in a couple of years time to see if the dried fruit character will have evolved into something much more interesting.)  16.5/20

The real eye-opener tonight was the Timorasso.....simply brilliant!  Patrick, thank you so much for introducing this wine to us!

A Taste of Swiss Wine

9 Jun 2013: Last month, I attended a Swiss wine and cheese pairing evening organised by The Swiss Wine Store in Hong Kong (www.theswisswinestore.com) - a wine merchant dedicated to the promotion of high quality Swiss wines.  My earlier scepticism about Swiss wine (based on limited earlier experience) was completely dispelled at the end of this tasting and an interest to explore further was definitely inspired, thanks to HK-based Swiss wine champion, Damien Fleury.  Damien is the founder of The Swiss Wine Store which currently imports the wines of 2 wineries: Jean-René Germanier and Provins Valais (together the Collection Chandra Kurt, making it 3 lines of products altogether).  

Although bordered by the French, Italians and Germans, Switzerland also boasts quite a few indigenous grape varieties, such as the following, all found in the Valais, Humagne Blanche (white), Petite Arvine (white), Amigne (white), Heida (white), Cornalin (red) and Humagne Rouge (red). Majority (80%) of the Swiss wine production takes place in the French-speaking part, 15% in the German-speaking part and the remaining 5% in the Italian part. Total area under vinews is around 15,000 hectares (1/8 size of Bordeaux), producing 1.1 million hl (0.4% total world production), but there is no shortage of ambitious winemakers trying to make a difference and showing the world their talent through the 2% of production that gets exported every year. 

Based in Balavaud within the Vétroz commune where the vines ripen nicely in the warm and dry microclimate along the valley hillsides that flank the Rhone river, Jean-René Germanier is widely regarded as one of Swiss top producers (www.jrgermanier.ch).  Now into its 3rd generation, since establishment in 1896, this boutique winery produces award-winning wines such as Cayas (Syrah), Mitis (botrytised Amigne) and Champmarais (Cornalin) - all very much worth exploring.   The Collection Chandra Kurt by cooperative Provins Valais (www.provins.ch) (roughly producing a quarter of Valais's production) is also worth exploring as it is the creation of wine writer Chandra Kurt and winemaker Madeleine Gay to focus on rare and ancient lesser known varietals.  

At this tasting, I was rather impressed by the following indigenous grape varieties:

2011 Petite Arvine du Valais, Collection Chandra Kurt, Provins (AOC Valais).  I liked the aromatic notes of floral, honey, citrus, with some ginger spice, and there was a very nice balance between remarkable freshness and richness.  Nice complex savoury finish. Alcohol a little on the high side for me at 14%.  How about tapas and dim sum (the modern version of barbecued pork bun - the kind topped with a sugary crust!), or the Japanese miso-marinated cod? (As for cheese pairing, I liked this with Emmental which turned out to be quite a hard one to pair!)

2010 Amigne du Valais, Collection Chandra Kurt, Provins (AOC Valais). Here, there was a richer texture and more powerful structure.  Notes of peach, apricot, floral and some marmalade.  A little high in alcohol for me. 14% abv. I could imagine a pairing with unagi sushi (the grilled, almost sweet version with the caramelised soya sauce), a delicate or floral-flavoured Chinese dish, such as the Shanghainese ham sandwich, with osmanthus honey sauce, or Vietnamese dishes. (For the cheese pairing part, I liked it with Tilsiter.)

2011 Fendant Balavaud Grand Cru from Jean-René Germanier was savoury, with notes of citrus, grapefruit, herbal, flint and smokey, very expressive, but probably would show better slightly more chilled. A nice alcohol level at 12.5%.  Fendant is the name for Chasselas in Valais.  I could have this with sushi or steamed fish?  This made a good pairing with Tête-de-Moine.

2011 Humagne Rouge, Jean-René Germanier (AOC Valais).  I liked the sour cherry, berries, spicy and slightly leather note here.  A little rustic, but well-balanced and nicely harmonious.  Some resemblance with a nice Beaujolais Cru - a Brouilly?  (For the cheese pairing, I liked it with Appenzeller and Gruyère.)

What this tasting proved to me was that you could find other occasions to enjoy these high quality wines from Switzerland......and it doesn't have to be at the winter fondue party!

Ageability of Californian Wines

7 Jun 2013: I am in unfamiliar territory when it comes to Californian (and more broadly, USA) wines. I had in the past tried a few examples of recent vintages (by recent I meant late 90's to 2004) in the past but I had found them either too big, powerful and jammy for the reds or too flabby and cloying for the whites. So, thanks to everyone's contribution, this was a very educational tasting for me because not only were we able to compare and contrast examples from some revered AVA's and wineries, we even tasted some examples with some age, which demonstrated to us the ageability of Californian wines. This tasting took place at The Chairman Restaurant, and we were extremely well looked after - full marks for food quality, portion size (just perfect), wine service and friendliness and efficiency of staff.


We started with a couple of Chardonnays by Kistler. Kistler is a family-owned winery, founded in 1978. It now produces around 25,000 cases of single varietal wines, from Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, using Burgundian techniques and respecting the terroirs of their single vineyards. Native yeast is used. The Chardonnays are typically barrel fermented, with ageing on lees between 11 and 18 months in French barrels tailored to the winery's specifications, before bottling without any fining or filtration.

We started with the 2008 Les Noisetiers. Les Noisetiers is a blended wine from different vineyards based on the sandy goldridge soils in western Sonoma County (Sonoma Coast). The winery believes that the goldridge soils give a very distinct mineral and earthy toe to their wines. Then we had a 2007 Vine Hill Road Vineyard from Russian River Valley. This wine has been in production since 1991 and the vineyard surrounds the winery. Poor free-draining sand forces the vines to go search deep for resources and energy. This wine speaks of energy, tension, minerality and a high natural acidity.

2008 Les Noisetiers, Kistler: Golden hue. The nose was dominated by tropical fruit and candied fruit notes of paw-paw, dried mango, with hints of ripe pear, toast and smoke, with some stoney, earthy nuances. I would have preferred a bit more acidity to give some lift to the rich and smooth texture. A wine perhaps better enjoyed in its youth.

2007 Vine Hill Vineyard, Kistler: Medium lemon hue with some golden highlights. A more expressive nose of peach, roasted hazelnuts, with nuances of fig, spices, toast and yoghurt. Full bodied, creamy textured, balanced by vibrant acidity. Finishes long and complex. Drink over next 6 - 8+ years.

Then we started the range of reds.



Most of the Reds are here, just missing the BV and the Araujo

 1978 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23. This is from the Stags Leap AVA in Napa Valley. First established by Warren Winiarski in 1970, and now owned by a joint venture by Chateau Sainte Michelle of Washington and Antinori. The 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars SLV Cabernet Sauvignon (made with vines of 3 years old at the time) was the wine that changed the wine world by taking first prize in the Judgement of Paris in 1976, beating Bordeaux's first growths. The flagship Cask 23 was created in 1974, using a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from SLV (alluvial soil) and Fay (volcanic) vineyards. Cask 23 is only produced in years deemed to have the right quality of fruit. Hallmarks of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars: elegance, structure and ageability and expressiveness were all evident in the 1978 sample that we had. More than a mere resemblance to the best from Bordeaux (Left Bank and quite possibly Margaux!). Garnet core. Bouquet of plum, violet, coffee, leather, with earthy, stony notes. The fine structure still very much apparent, and enhanced with a gracefully mature elegance and harmony. Fine finish.


1986 Private Reserve, Beaulieu Vineyard. From the Rutherford AVA, of which the sedimentary gravelly sandy and alluvial soils endow the wines with a distinct dusty,earthy character about them - the Rutherford dust. Beaulieu Vineyard is one of the historic wineries from Rutherford, established in 1900 by Georges de Latour and his wife Fernande. A little tired perhaps this bottle, with more than a whiff of coffee, caramel and dried fruit......a remnant of that dustiness was perceived, somewhere amongst the drying finish.



Next was a vertical flight of 3 vintages from Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard. Joe Heitz made the first vintage in 1966. Martha's Vineyard is situated on the western side of Oakville AVA, on a 34-acre gentle fanning slope on the alluvial foothills of the Mayacamas, soaking up the morning sun. The fertile alluvial soil is atop with gravelly particles washed down from the Mayacamas Mountains, thus providing good drainage. The location is not too inland for some maritime influence from San Pablo Bay to moderate temperature. The vineyard is planted with eucalyptus trees at its edge and it is said that this gives the wines a distinct minty aroma and flavour profile. Martha's Vineyard has been owned by the May family since 1963, and named after Tom's wife Martha!

This was my favourite flight of the evening:

1979 Martha's Vineyard, Heitz Cellar: very Bordeaux-like....earthy, leather, savoury, hint of herbaceous/mint with an underlying all-spice note. Finishes very long. Like an old Saint Estephe?


1981 Martha's Vineyard, Heitz Cellar: a wine complete in every sense - fine backbone, freshness, flavour intensity matched by a depth of character, fine balance and harmony, complex and long finish. A beautifully crafted wine, that delivers power, elegance, finesse and ageability.


1993 Martha's Vineyard: this is richer, with a more velvety texture. Will continue to evolve.


Then we had 2 different vintages of Ridge Monte Bello. Monte Bello vines were first planted near the top of the Monte Bello Ridge (about 700 metres above sea level) in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1885 but the vineyards lay abandoned until it was bought by 4 engineers in 1959. Ridge Vineyards was establised in 1962, with Paul Draper as winemker since 1969. The 1971 Monte Bello came 5th in the 1976 Judgement of Paris. Ridge Monte Bello is now a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Here the soil is limestone, not alluvial.

1994 Ridge Monte Bello (in magnum): This was a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot, aged in seasoned American oak. Very primary still.....Lots of plum, blackberry, black cherry, liquorice and tobacco, with nuances of eucalyptus. Medium bodied, with velvety well-integrated tannin and a nice balancing acidity. Nice complex finish. Expressive, understatedly lush, quite stylish and mouthcoating, distinguished by its flavour profile, which was quite different from the other wines we tasted thus far. Even better the second day, as we only drank half the magnum during the dinner! Drink now till 2023+. (And at a restrained level of alcohol at 12.5%, this was really refreshing!)


1980 Ridge Monte Bello: this was quite Bordeaux-like... Plum, spices, leather and earthy notes. Beautifully matured....drinking at peak but there is no hurry to drink up...


We finished with the 2 youngest reds: 2003 Shafer Hillside Select and 2007 Araujo Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

2007 Araujo Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: from the famed historic Eisele Vineyard, a 38-acre vineyard east of Calistoga, which had successively seen the craftsmanship of Paul Draper and Joseph Phelps. Bart and Daphne Araujo bought this vineyard in 1990 and set to work to renovate the existing buildings and to create a new winery and cellar. Improvements were also made to the vineyards. Beautiful and pure cassis fruit, layered with nuances of herbs and spices. Medium-bodied, velvety texture. A rather subdued showing for this bottle.


2003 Shafer Hillside Select was big, powerful, and dense. Very smooth mouthcoating texture of intense and lush fruit - prune, dried berries,blueberry preserve, graphite and liquorice. You could enjoy this now, but I would probably wait another 5 - 6 years.....this will drink well until 2030+. We should have opened this wine at least 12 hours earlier to aerate and open up! Founded in 1972 by John Shafer, Shafer is located in the Stags Leap AVA. 210 acres. Annual production for Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select is about 2,000 cases. So different from the Cask 23 from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars......although from same AVA, and 25 years apart.


This was indeed a very interesting for us -such diversity in terms of styles and AVA's (Rutherford, Oakville and Stags Leap are side by side inside Napa Valley, as is Calistoga AVA, with Stags Leap being the most southern and Calistoga furthest north) and the ability to taste Californian wines with age. Thank you so much, everyone! It will be very interesting to see how the recent bigger, more alcoholic styles will fare in 30 years' time.

Wonders of Greece

May 2013: I recently attended  a Greek Wine Master Class, organised by the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board (HEPO).   We tasted 12 wines under the guidance of Konstantinos Lazarakis, Greece's first Master of Wine.  The very enthusiastic and eloquent Konstantinos deftly set the stage for us: the Greeks were the forefathers of winemaking - with a tradition that transcended over 3,000 years!  Then he quickly fast forwarded to the 20th Century, when Greece saw the modern evolution of its wine industry: the emergence of quality-conscious boutique wineries, winemakers studying overseas, investments from overseas and the need to satisfy growing domestic and export market demand for high quality wines made in Greece!  Given the time constraints, we did not have time to go into too much detail on Greek wine legislation, which was largely based on the French system, plus its own interpretation/adaptation.  The current area under vines in Greece is about 113,000 hectares, about the same size as Bordeaux, but producing around 3.8 million hl (roughly 25% less than Bordeaux).  Greek wine production is dominated by white wines, with the reds accounting for about 1/3 of the total production.  About 300 indigenous grape varieties are found in Greece, together with the addition of 30 - 40 international grape varieties, making for a very colourful and diverse palette.  The 4 key grape varieties in terms of quantities are Savatiano, Roditis, the Muscat family and Agiorgitiko (the former 2 being 'culprits' behind the traditional Retsina).   For the 12 wines that we tasted, there were 4 whites, 1 rosé, 6 reds and 1 dessert wine.




The 4 whites



The first white immediately grabbed my attention.  A 2012 Monemvassia from Moraitis Winery from Paros (www.paroswines.gr).  Moraitis is a winery founded in 1910. This PDO Paros wine is made from low-yielding vineyards near the sea and the Monemvassia grapes are harvested around mid August.  A pale straw yellow colour, with aromatic notes of honey, herbal, hay, white peach and sultana.  The palate showed rounded mouthfeel, rich texture, good complexity, all the time balanced by vibrant acidity. Refreshing and aromatic, with a nice texture.  Like Malvasia, but not related.  The grape variety typically gives high alcohol and low acidity...but this one at 12.5% abv and showing good acidity. Perfect match with seafood!

The next grape variety we tried was Malagousia, a grape variety near extinction until saved by Vangelis Gerovassiliou, who started a project of reviving Malagousia at Domaine Porto Carras in Sithonia (www.portocarras.com) which has vineyards arranged in an amphitheatre-like formation, on the western slopes of Mount Meliton. This domaine is the largest organic vineyard in Greece.  According to Konstantinos, first vintage was 1993. Gerovassiliou then started his own winery in Epanomi  (www.gerovassiliou.gr) does a version of Malagousia which involves whole cluster fermentation and partial fermentation in old barrels and ageing on lees for a few months.  I very much liked the complexity, freshness and long finish here.  Nutty, toasty and spicy overtones, together with the pear, floral, herbal and naturally grapey notes.  There is ageing potential too, 8 - 10+ years.  The inherent tendency to develop high level of alcohol and low acidity was totally under control. We tasted a 2012 vintage of this PGI Epanomi wine.  We must have been given the ex-cellars price at the tasting....I looked up Wine Searcher and it seems that it retails around EUR 12 in Greece.  Still a very good price for such a high quality wine.
 
We did not get to taste an Assyrtiko from Santorini to my initial disappointment but the 2011 version from the Idisma Drios range (means "sweetly oaked") from Wine Art Estate in Drama (www.wineart.gr) proved to be equally interesting, perhaps without the exhilarating freshness and stylish character that I would expect from Santorini.  The wine had been fermented and aged in French barrels (40% new barrels) for 6 months. The colour was bright golden yellow.  Nutty, stony and lanolin notes on the nose.  Creamy texture, full-bodied, with the richness of this grape variety balanced by firm acidity.   This is typically a high alcohol, high acidity grape variety.  Here the winemaker managed to get it down to 13.5% - not a bad effort at all!  Wine Art Estate was the creation of an architect and a civil engineer, both dedicated to marrying Greek and international varieties to the mesoclimate of Drama.

From left to right: Cabernet blended with Limnio and Xinomavro; 2 versions of Agiorgitiko; and lastly the rosé

The next was a 2012 rosé from Domaine Skouras Cuvée Prestige. 80% Agiorgitiko and 20% Moschofilero.   Even with just 20%, the characteristics of Moschofilero somehow dominated the nose, with notes of Turkish delight, bubblegum with rose petals.  More candied fruit on the palate, with a medium body with some tannin and medium acidity.  Moschofilero typically gives aromatic wines with low alcohol, light body and high acidity.  Agiorgitiko has to be a survivor, though heavily virus infected, it still manages to be amongst the top 4 grape varieties planted in Greece.  With soft and ripe berry fruit, velvety tannin and balancing acidity, it has proven to be a crowd pleaser.

I liked its expression better in the 2007 Semeli Nemea Reserve PDO (www.semeliwines.gr)!  For a Reserve wine, this has spent at least 18 months in oak, and at least 18 months in bottle. Nice complexity of red berry, violet, liquorice and some leather notes.  Velvety texture, with medium+ tannin and medium acidity.  This can continue to evolve for at least 8 - 10+ years.  A very elegant expression.  14% abv. By comparison, the 2008 Ktima Biblia Chora Areti PGI Pangeon seemed to have a more New World take on its style.  Quite meaty, bigger in structure and a more powerful and concentrated expression.

9, 10 - Xinomavro; 11 - Katsaros; 12 - the Liatiko sticky!

Xinomavro was the next grape variety we were introduced to.  This time we were shown 3 versions: one version in an international blend with Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2 versions from Naoussa.  The first Naoussa version was a very good expression of Xinomavro, from Thymiopoulos Vineyards (Label GHI KAI URANOS - meaning Earth and Sky), made with indigenous yeast, biodynamically (www.oinologos.gr).  Xinomavro is a grape variety that is naturally tricky to grow, requiring very low yields to show its brilliant expression and astonishing complexity. From this wine, we saw was a certain resemblance to Nebbiolo in terms of structure with its highish tannin and acidity, and a certain likeness to Sangiovese in its aromas - sour cherry, earthy, dusty, herbaceous, sun-dried tomato with some spicy notes.  I liked the bright fruit shown here, with great freshness, giving the wine a very nice lift.   Not bad for the alcohol too at 14% abv.  Second version (2006 Foundi Estate PDO Naoussa) was more evolved, showing more of a garnet hue, with a more evolved/tertiary nose of coffee, caramel and earthy notes, almost pungent.  Bad bottle?

The last red wine was a PGI wine made 100% with Cabernet Sauvignon.  2005 Domaine Katsaros from Krania (a small family-owned winery established in 1985 on the eastern slope of Mount Olympus).  Deep ruby.  Intense aromatic bouquet of cassis, blackcurrant, layered with cedar, stoney and meaty nuances.  I very much liked the velvety texture of tannin, well lifted by vibrant acidity, leading to a long finish.  I thought there's more than a hint of Pauillac here!  Very good effort. 

To finish, we tasted a 2005 vintage sweet wine made with Liatiko grapes from Idaia Winery in Dafnes, Crete (www.idaiaiwine.gr).  The Idaia Winery is based in Venerato in Crete, with vineyards at around 300 metres in PDO Dafnes.  After harvest, grapes are typically dried on roof tops for 10 - 15 days to further concentrate the sugars.  The grape variety tends to be low in acidity and tannin.  Aged in old oak barrels for 4 years before release.   A brown colour.  Oxidised notes of coffee, caramel, walnut, dried fruit, raisins with liquorice.  Full-bodied, with the luscious sweetness balanced by firm acidity.  Liked the finish.  Would be very good with blue cheese or just enjoy with dried fruit and walnuts!  A good price for a sticky at EUR 15.60.

This had been an eye-opening experience for me to taste this set of high quality wines from Greece (and at very reasonable prices - we were given ex-cellar prices for trade probably! I suspect the retail prices would be higher....) and to learn about the interesting array of indigenous grape varieties, most of which quite challenging to pronounce. This has to be great news for those who enjoy their holidays in Greece, that there is a very vibrant wine scene in Greece!  It would be very nice to see more of these wines featured in wine lists in restaurants in HK too!

2000 Chapelle d'Ausone

2  June 2013: Deep ruby. A spicy and invigorating bouquet reminescent of cassis, blackberry, black cherry, plum, dried fruit, liquorice and dark chocolate with some leather notes just surfacing. Medium bodied with velvety tannin and good acidity giving the wine a lively poise. Very moreish though without the depth and concentation of the grand vin. A charming expression of the terroir of Ausone. Drinking very well now and over next 6 - 7years.  17/20