A Sampler of Greek Wines – excellent bottles from the Aegean

It's really cold in Colorado tonight, so the Voyager feels the need to do a post on some sun-splashed wines, just to remind us all that eventually, warmer weather will return.  And if you want a splash of sun, where better to go than to the wines of the Aegean Sea?

So many countries in Europe have undergone vinous revolutions in the last 20-30 years – Italy, southern France, dry German wines, Spain – that sometimes Greece has been ignored.  Greek wines don’t often make their way onto the shelves of wine merchants here in the Rocky Mountains, but based on the evidence presented by those wines I could find, Greece deserves more recognition.  The Voyager looked at three wines; one white from Santorini, and two reds – one from Naoussa, and one from Nemea.  Two of the three were truly excellent, and the third was a well-made wine that simply didn’t fit my palate.  If you can find these wines, do yourself a favor; take home a bottle and pop the cork, preferably with some Greek food. 

A white that could take the world by storm

2013 Domaine Sigalas Santorini Assyrtiko (Santorini, Greece):  Medium yellow-gold.  New-mown hay and a salt-water breeze on the nose, with a bit of melon as well.  There is a seamless quality to the palate that makes it hard to break down into its individual components; suffice it to say that there are delicate citrus flavors, combined with a taste of pure sunshine that is simply delicious.  Underneath all that sun, however, there are also hints of minerality, both in terms of aroma and flavor.  Still deeper, there’s the faintest wisp of smokiness.  Excellent with roast chicken, but I’ll bet this would pair well with seafood or vegetable dishes as well.  Lovely purity and balance.  Hugh Johnson, the noted English wine critic, says that Assyrtiko “could conquer the world…”  If a wine two-thirds as good as this could be made on a larger scale, there’s no doubt that Johnson would be on target.  Of course, like many great varietals, Assyrtiko thrives under particular conditions – in this case, volcanic soil, with a combination of heat and strong ocean winds, and low-lying, bush-trained vineyards.  I’ll confess that part of me hopes that Assyrtiko will remain a treasure known only to the cognoscenti.  I’ve always wanted to visit Santorini; this wine makes me feel as if I’ve already been there.  Gorgeous!  **** ½

a fruit-forward red from the Nemea region

2011 Skouras Saint George (Nemea, Greece):  Medium garnet.  Blueberry, plum and beefy aromas.  Redcurrant scents as the wine airs, which carry over to the palate – sweet fruits emerge as it opened out.  Still later, there was a steely trace on the nose; although that’s a word one sees more frequently in reference to white wines, it nonetheless applies here.  Pleasant enough, but a bit jammy for my taste.  American palates attuned to fruit-forward wines from California and Australia will like this.  Nothing wrong here at all, just not a style that suits my taste.  **1/2 - ***

Is Xinomavro the most elegant red grape in Greece?  This wine provides some sound evidence...

2009 Boutari Naoussa (Naoussa, Greece):  Pale ruby, with a mature brown rim.  Fascinating on the nose, with scents of roses, violets, sour cherries, nuttiness, and an intriguing aroma of pine needles on the forest floor; leather and milk chocolate emerge later.  Nice texture, with sour cherries most prominent on the palate.  Made from the Xinomavro grape, indigenous to Greece, this is a distinctive wine that some critics compare to Nebbiolo, and others to Pinot Noir.  Both comparisons are valid, but there’s also something unique here – that pine needle quality that I’ve only encountered a few times, plus a tiny hint of basil way underneath.  Long on elegance, this wine definitely merits greater attention from those who value grace and complexity.  ***1/2 - ****

In short, keep an eye out for Greek wines; there may be another vinous revolution afoot.