Wine: Greeks for all seasons

Cyprus Gourmet Review

Wine: Greeks for all seasons

Xenophon and Sally Lambrou have been running their wine business in Ioanni Polemi Street, just off Archbishop Makarios Avenue in Limassol for 15 years. They are both very gregarious souls, seldom lost for a word, but the fact that they are one of the longest-established specialist wine stores has not been well enough noticed. I am at fault in this and now happily redress the omission. Perhaps to celebrate this longevity, but more likely because the business is going well, they recently expanded their premises in a most attractive manner. It is now an excellent place to visit, talk about wine, taste and buy. It is one of the tragedies of doing what I do that, perforce, I have to spread myself very thinly and do not get the chance as often as I would wish to relax with people I like.
Xenophon, now happily recovered from his recent accident, being Greek has always had a soft spot for wines of his native heath. One of his first agencies was that of Hatzimichalis, which he has done well by and to which, over the years he has added Spyropoulos (about which I wrote here recently) and Mitravelas Estate. The regional differences are fascinating. Spyropoulos and Mitravelas are in Peloponessos and Hatzimichalis is based slightly north-eastwards in Central Greece.
Dimitris Hatzimichalis has been a major force in Greek wine for more than 40 years, establishing new vineyards and grape varieties in an area with several thousand years of wine making behind it. He has always made a substantial range of wines using both indigenous and international grape varieties. His range runs the gamut from “cheap and cheerful” to fairly expensive and stylishly elegant.
To celebrate Xenophon and Sally’s fifteen years of wine-selling I have been sampling a quartet of very different reds, all of which found favour with me for one reason or another.
Cava LX Domaine Hatzimichalis, 2004, Cabernet Sauvignon **** AbV 13.5% €41.00 VFM 8/10
“LX” = Latin numeral for 60, the number of months the wine matures; 24 months in French oak barrels and 36 months in the bottle. Deep, deep colour. A multi-layered wine with big dark fruit, woody and spicy notes. If you have a cellar, lay it down for some years. For drinking now, open, decant several hours before drinking and then pour a small measure into a large red wine glass. Big, but not overly high in alcohol, but elegant.
Vaccius Vinum, Hatzimichalis, 2004, Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot **** AbV 13.5% €35.00 VFM 8/10
Another one for keeping, or giving air to before serving. Big, lots of tannins and dark notes – hints of blackberries, chocolate and earthy notes. Be patient with it and it will reward you, after careful preparation now, or in your cellar. Very, very good for its price.
Mitravelas is a very different operation from Hatzimichalis. A small range of wines (just two reds) of the same grape, marketed at a modest price. The two wines prove that the Agiorgitiko grape is virtually all things to all men. You can make a Nouveau with it, you can ferment and mature it any way you like, with or without oak. You can make modest, quite simple wines and you can make big complex ones to keep.
This winery was founded in 1911 in the village of Koutsi, which is the highest part of Nemea. Today it is run by the third generation, Kostas Mitravelas. There are five different vineyard sites, with the oldest vines being 60 years old. This particular one has the original clone of Agiorgitiko, which is un-grafted and phylloxera free, unique in Greece.
Red on Black, Nemea from Mitravelas, 2007. Agiorgitiko. **** AbV 13.5% €6.25 VFM 9/10
Fresh, bright and spicy, very young. No complications here. Fermented in stainless steel tanks with no barrel aging. Raspberry notes and pleasing on the tongue. Open an hour or so before drinking. On warm days, serve slightly chilled with grills and mezze.
Mitravelas Estate, Nemea, Agiorgitiko **** AbV 13.5% €15.50 VFM 8/10
18 months maturation here, 12 in oak, six in bottle, before release. Medium bodied, with good balance of fruit and wood. A well made, uncomplicated pleasing wine with a satisfying finish that will go well with roast and grilled meats and not-too-spicy casseroles. A modern Greek “pop”. I like it.