As our speaker Greg Michailos noted at the beginning, Greece is 80% mountainous, yet everyone associates it with white houses and beaches. And when it comes to grapes and wine, the Greeks have been joking since Homer! The current 64,900 hectares, officially divided into 114 PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) and 33 PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), make the wine regions and vineyards unremarkable, but if you want to approach it from the point of view of the varieties, you should know that 90% of the area is planted with autochthonous grape varieties, famous for their unpronounceable names, and that every week three new ones are discovered…
The estate structure is similar to that in Hungary, with 1,300 commercial wineries sharing almost 65,000 hectares, further fragmenting the chessboard and making it difficult to understand. So the country's wine marketers decided that in an age of simple messages, it was just enough to focus on a few words: Santorini, Assyrtiko, Xinomavro.
Santorini probably doesn't need explaining, it's the houses on the island that make everyone think that Greece is the same as white-walled houses with blue roofs, and the tiny piece of land is so overrun with tourists that it's almost unbearable, and we're talking about an island that is almost a desert, last year for example, the island received a total of 100 mm of rainfall in the whole year! The vines there grow on volcanic sand, on soils that are almost entirely phylloxera-immune, so it is not uncommon to find vines with their own roots, over 300 years old. And the main variety is the white wine-producing Assyrtiko, which is neutral, with a tremendous acidity, but phenolicity and oxidation can be a problem, as can good sugar retention and potentially high alcohol, but in return the variety is resistant to rot. Except for the latter, it's like talking about Furmint, isn't it?
That's why a significant proportion of the six white wines in the first part of the presentation were made from Assyrtiko, which is not, Malagousia, a moderately aromatic grape variety that reminds me of Malvasia and is supposedly such a hit in Greece that it's now planted and drunk by everyone who matters.
Ktima Biblia Chora, White 2024 I 84 points
(Assyrtiko 40% - Sauvignon Blanc 60%, PGI Pangeon, Macedonia) 13,5%
Medium lemon colour. On the nose, salty lemon, green herbs, Mediterranean flair, chalky limestone minerality, green apple. The nose promises a bone dry wine. Smaller than medium body, vibrant lively acidity, salty lemon, green apple on the palate too. The medium finish is bitter, green apple, almost unripe.
Ktima Gerovassiliou, Malagousia 2024 I 86 points
(PGI Epanomi, Macedonia) 13,5%
Medium lemon colour. White fleshy sweet fruits and white flowers, a little bit reminiscent of Malvasia. Medium body, lively acidity, ripe apples, white flesh peaches, pears, the latter becoming stronger and more dominant in the mouth. The finish is medium, with a slight bitterness. A refreshing sip.
Alpha Estate, Ecosystem assyrtiko single block "Aghia Kiriaki" 2023 I 87 points
(Assyrtiko, PGI Florina, Macedonia) 13%
Pale to medium lemon colour. Nose of white fleshy fruits, ripe apple, tangerine, a little dustiness. Tasting medium body, lively acidity, vibrant character, tight, exciting structure. It seems to have a touch of wood, but this only adds to the structure of the wine, maybe just a long maceration, the fruit and minerality at the end of the sip are not masked by the taste. Refreshing.
Ktima Biblia Chora, Areti White 2022 I 87 points
(Assyrtiko, PGI Pangeon, Macedonia) 13,5%
Medium lemon colour. Slight uncertainty on the nose, ripe fig tingle, greenish notes behind, grass after rain. Medium body, tight structure, vibrant acidity, flavour and structure better than the nose suggested. Tight, citrus, green apple, minerality and long aftertaste.
Domaine Sigalas, Santorini 2024 I 91 points
(Assyrtiko, PDO Santorini, Aegean Islands) 14.6%
Medium lemon colour. Opens with a stunning mineral nose, you can't deny the growing area, alongside tiny figs and melons, peaches and ripe apples. On the palate it's the same, elegant acidity, vibrant character, a combination of minerality and fruitiness, all long, savoury and elegant. Beautiful.
Mega Spileo Estate, Estate White 2020 I 86 points
Aassyritiko, Lagorthi PGI Achaia, Peloponnese) 13%
Deeper than medium lemon colour. At first sight, the nose is all barrel, vanilla, punch, sweet spices, allspice. In the mouth, big body, broad palate, creamy texture, butteriness, clove, vanilla, tiny bit of smoke. No trace of grape variety, acidity round, long sip and finish.
And from there came the red wines, so it was time to explain Xinomavro, the country's blue grape variety, at least as far as marketing is concerned. Typically low in colour, it is a pale variety with extremely lively acidity, a "Greek nebbiolo", says Greg Michailos jokingly, but after tasting the first two wines, he might be right...
Alpha Estate, Ecosystem Xinomavro Reserve old vines single block "Barba Yannis" 2021 I 92 points
(Xinomavro, PDO Amyndeon, Macedonia) 14%
Pale ruby colour with cherry reflections. Nose of cherry, strawberry, strawberry, tomato, red flowers and olive. Medium minus body, vibrant vibrant acidity, red berry fruit, tiny tomato and Mediterranean spice bouquet, almost cries out for grilled lamb chops or gazpacho. Finishes longer than medium. I'd drink it any time, like a very good nebbiolo. Super!
Ktima Kir-Yianni, Ramnista 2019 I 91 points
(Xinomavro, PDO Naoussa, Macedonia) 14%
Medium minus ruby colour. The nose is intense, tomato, mushroom, olive, roast meat, the latter perhaps the barrel, with strawberries even showing up in the background. Tasted medium bodied, tight tannins, noticeable barrel spice, graphite, alongside tomato and blackberry, cherry and black berry forest fruits. International style, more robust. The finish is long and complex, with chocolate showing up.
Ktima Gerovassiliou, Avaton red 2022 I 85 points
(Limnio 85% - Mavroudi 5% - Mavrotragano 10%, PGI Epanomi, Macedonia) 14,5%
Medium ruby colour with slight purple reflections. On the nose it has a yoghurt with black berries and forest fruits. Tasting it, more than medium body, silky structure, ripe tannins, black berries, rubber berry syrup, more reminiscent of Hungarian reds, some tannins from the grapes, medium finish, alcohol hangs out a bit.
Mega Spileo Estate, Estate red 2016 I 92 points
(Mavrodaphne 60% - Mavro Kalavritino 40%, PGI Achaia, Peloponnese) 15%
Medium ruby colour. International style on the nose, elegant tertiary notes, sweet spices, vanilla, blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, clove, nutmeg. In the mouth, big body, broad palate, silky ripe but firm tannins, dense texture, round acidity. Also on the palate, black berry fruit, coffee, pipe tobacco, tiny bit of leather. Elegant, beautifully ripe, big red wine with an almost endless finish. Wow!
After that, it's up to everyone to decide if they want to invest in Greek wines, I suggest that everyone should visit Greece and then decide, because a trip to Greece is a trip that no one will regret!
Thanks to the Wines of Greece team and the Palack Wine Bar in Budapest for the tasting.
