few months in bottle to come together. Athenee Importers & Distributors, Hempstead, NY

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1 Our blind panels tasted 289 new-release Greek wines over the past 12 months. Tara Q. Thomas, our critic for Greek wines, rated 56 as exceptional (90+) and 39 as Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. ISLAND WHITE CEPHALONIA Gentilini $ Cephalonia Robola ^ Grown on high, steep slopes laden with limestone, Petros Gentilini s Robola sets the bar high for the variety. The wine comes on crisp and gripping, a one-two punch of acidity and minerality, then it delivers a blast of lemon flavor. Firm, fresh and vivacious, it s a mouth-watering white for stuffed squid. Athenee Importers & Distributors, Gentilini $ Cephalonia Aspro Classic (Best Buy) ^ A blend of the local tsaoussi with muscat and sauvignon blanc, this is breezy and bright, the very definition of a summer Mediterranean white. It feels infused with light, the lemon and herbal notes reflecting off the white chalk savor that runs underneath. It s refreshing and palate whetting, especially with fried zucchini slices served with a cool, minty yogurt dip. Athenee Importers & Distributors, CRETE Economou $ Crete Thrapsathiri-Vilana ^ Yiannis Economou takes a hands-off approach to winemaking at his cellar in Ziros, at the eastern end of Crete, preferring no inputs in the vineyard or winery, letting his wines tell him when they are ready to be released. That s how this blend of thrapsathiri and vilana has come into the market at five years old, when the color has deepened to an orange gold. It tastes like something that may have been made in medieval times, with its mix of honeyed nuts and salty spice, orange peels and tea. But what it most tastes of is stone, cool and firm. For chicken bisteeya or other complex dishes. Frederick Wildman and Sons, NY Karavitakis $ Crete The Little White Prince (Best Buy) ^ This contrasts vidiano s mango-ripe richness with vilana s leaner herbal pleasures. The two aren t quite integrated yet, needing a few months in bottle to come together. Athenee SANTORINI Gaia $ Santorini Thalassitis Oak Fermented ^ Here s a masterful example of oak-fermented Santorini, one in which the wood plays a minor supporting role to the flavors, even at this point in the wine s youth. Or maybe it s bigger that that: Without it, the intensity of the chalk and sea spray might be almost painful, like the glare of the sun off Santorini s whitewashed buildings at midday. Despite its formidable strength, the wine feels airy and endless, a creamy meringue of citrus, salt and stones, Santorini realized in a mouthful. Athenee Importers & Distributors, Estate Argyros $ Santorini Assyrtiko ^ Polished and elegant, this has a cool, round smoothness to its texture, even while it packs in an island s worth of chalky minerality. There s a leesy grip that holds the wine fast, notes of white peach and herb emerging, acidity moving through the wine like a saline breeze. It s ready for salt-crusted fish. Athenee Importers & Distributors, Gaia $ Santorini Thalassitis ^ As is typical for Thalassitis, this is long, lean and tightly wound, needing air to get past the initial green onion notes of reduction. Then it begins to build, slightly herbal and cucumber-crisp, a leesy richness bringing fatness to all the minerality. The wine lasts, one of the most austere of the vintage, wanting another few years in bottle to come into its own. Athenee Estate Argyros $ Santorini Assyrtiko ^ This powerful Santorini manages to be juicy without losing the saline crunch that sets the island s best wines apart. The contrast of ripe fruit and steely minerality makes it particularly vivid, and carries it through the long finish. Athenee Boutari $ Santorini Assyrtiko (Best Buy) ^ The immediate ease of this wine may be misleading, for under all that creamy, supple fruit, there s Santorini s volcanic earthiness. That saline, chalky minerality gives the honeydew and lemon notes firmness and length, while the acidity simply doesn t let go. It s a big wine, wanting full-flavored seafood like chorizo-stuffed squid. Terlato Wines Int l., Lake Bluff, IL Boutari $ Santorini Kallisti Reserve ^ This isn t meant to drink now, unless you happen to like oak. But give it a decade and the blond wood flavors will continue in the direction they are already heading: toward honey and beeswax, notes that warm up Santorini s stony firmness and pad its acidic grip. Everything is there; it just needs time. Terlato Wines Int l., Lake Bluff, IL Santo Wines $ Santorini Nykteri (Best Buy) ^ Ripe and sunny, this is clear, precise Santorini, the tangy lemon fruit built on an expansive base of chalky minerality. It feels firm, the acidity almost cutting, suited for grilled eel. Fantis W I N E & S P I R I T S A U G U S T

2 90 Gaia $ Santorini Wild Ferment Assyrtiko ^ After 12 hours of skin contact, this moves into a combination of stainless steel tanks and French and American barrels, where it is left to ferment spontaneously. At this point in this wine s youth, it s both reductive and oaky, but the almond richness of the texture and the candied-lemon ripeness of the fruit suggest it will come into better balance with another year in bottle bringing it more in line with previous vintages. Athenee Importers & Distributors, Hatzidakis $ Santorini (Best Buy) ^ Hatzidakis has his own style, one that combines richness and rusticity in a beguiling way. This 2013 is so ripe it s golden, with roundness to its lemony fruit and a slight floral note that s unusual for Santorini. Then the minerality comes on, dark and earthy in its deep savor. It has the structure to age well for another decade. Frederick Wildman and Sons, NY Sigalas $ Santorini Assyrtiko Athiri (Best Buy) ^ Bright and fresh, this is a crisp, lemony Santorini sharply etched with acidity. It s ripe and full flavored, ready for domatokeftedes, the little tomato fritters the island is famous for. MAINLAND WHITE C E N T R A L G R E E C E Mylonas $ Greece Assyrtiko (Best Buy) ^ The second release of this wine from Stamatis Mylonas, who started his winery in Attica in 2006, this is surprisingly savory and mineral for a mainland assyrtiko. That may have to do with the vineyard, a patch of sandy clay liberally covered with white chunks of limestone, the vines cooled by Mediterranean breezes. While the wine feels as ripe as its dandelionyellow color predicts, it balances leesy, dried honey richness with chalky firmness. For oysters Rockefeller, or something equally opulent and saline. WineWise, Oakland, CA Dom. Papagiannakos $ Retsina of Mesogaia ^ Using the same quality of grapes as for his unresinated savatiano and adding only a fraction of the usual amount of pine resin, Vassilis Papagiannakos makes one of the most refreshing, delicate retsinas on the market. It s almost more eucalyptus-like than directly piney, the aroma quickly dissipating to leave behind an impression of a cleansing sea breeze. For anything that comes from the sea, especially if it s fried. Fantis Dom. Papagiannakos $ Attica Kalogeri Malagouzia (Best Buy) ^ Soft, pretty and light herb and flower notes fill this wonderfully restrained malagousia. It has the variety s supple texture, but presents it with an extra dose of verve, the bright, lemony acidity holding it fresh. For grilled fish. Fantis Vassiliou $ Koropi Ambelones (Best Buy) ^ The light florals and spice of roditis add detail to the broad, waxy texture of savatiano in this blend. It feels complete, a round, smooth white that s ripe but not heavy, with a honeysuckle lilt and lime-zest finish. For braised artichokes in a lemon olive oil sauce. Athenee Domaine Zafeirakis $ Tyrnavos Malagousia (Best Buy) ^ Steely and lean, this presents malagousia in a restrained vein, with an accent on the variety s floral, herbal aromas more than richness of fruit. Air broadens those floral notes, lending a honeysuckle-like richness, yet the wine remains lifted, a bright, summery pour for a fennel, orange and olive salad. Frederick Wildman and Sons, NY Harlaftis $ Attica Family Tradition White (Best Buy) ^ Waxy and broad, with lemon and apple fruit, this is textbook, traditionally styled savatiano, refreshing in its simplicity and ease. It will match anything light and summery, from salads to seafood. Athenee Kourtaki $9 Retsina of Attica (Best Buy) ^ So light on the resin it s almost a suggestion more than a flavor, this is clean and fresh, the flavors riding out on a crisp apple fruitiness. For a spread of mezes, from tzatziki and babaganoush to stuffed mussels. Nestor Imports, NY Dom. Papagiannakos $ Markopoulo Savatiano (Best Buy) ^ This is perhaps deceptively fruity right now, its succulent, sweet lime flavors and light, salty minerality the main events. As pleasant as they are, it may well pay to leave this in the cellar for another year or three, as Papagiannakos s wines tend to exchange fruitiness for a savory almond richness and minerality over time. Fantis Thymiopoulos $ Central Greece Boarding Pass Malagousia (Best Buy) ^ Floral and saline, this is a high-toned malagousia, with an accent on aromatics. Give it time for the variety s silky texture to emerge here earthy and broad and to come into better harmony. Athenee My Big Fat Greek Wine $ Sterea Ellada Savatiano (Best Buy) ^ Simple and refreshing, this plays limey fruit off a briny green-olive note, with herbal notes adding delicacy. Hellas Import, Brookline, MA N O R T H E R N G R E E C E Domaine Gerovassiliou $ Epanomi Viognier ^ This isn t one of those wines that s good for a Greek version. This is straight-out great viognier, richly peachy and subtly floral, with the slightly nutty savor found in the best Rhône examples. The acidity is barely noticeable, save for how the oily texture simply disappears on the finish, leaving the tongue ready for another taste. Smooth and sophisticated, this is a match for lobster dipped in drawn butter. Cava Spiliadis, Astoria, NY Domaine Gerovassiliou $ Epanomi Single Vineyard Malagousia ^ Gerovassiliou is the master of this style, a silky, satiny modern take on this ancient grape. It s ripe and green, with guava-like W I N E & S P I R I T S A U G U S T

3 fruit flavors, lighter on floral aromatics and heavier on fruit than previous vintages. A showy wine, it needs a showy dish, like tuna tartare liberally seasoned with herbs and spice. Cava Spiliadis, Astoria, NY Tsantali $ Mount Athos Metoxi X Chromitsa ^ A blend of 50 percent assyrtiko with athiri and sauvignon blanc, this grows in the Metoxi Chromitsa monastery vineyard, on granite soils in view of the sea. Quiet at first, it slowly reveals itself with air, first in lemon zest and herbal notes, then growing broad and quietly rich in texture. It feels chiseled and austere, with a flinty mineral note that steers it toward a grilled whole sea bass. Fantis Tsantali $ Ismarikos Kanenas Odyssey Rhapsody ^ A terrific example of the power of blending, this takes chardonnay s broad, bland richness and enriches it with muscat s floral tones; in return, chardonnay tones down muscat s grapey elements to create a pretty-yet-serious white. With orange blossom aromas and a subtle, waxy richness, it s well matched to the spice-infused dishes of Greece s north; try it with meaty fish kabobs rubbed in cumin and sumac. Fantis Imports, Carlstadt, NJ PELOPONNESE Tselepos $ Arcadia Melissopetra Gewürztraminer ^ Grown on a high, slippery outcropping of pure slate on the edge of the Mantinia plateau, this is textbook gewürztraminer, minus any of the bitterness common to the variety. Lime zest turns to litchi with air; roses and violet scents give way to slatey earth. All the elements are held in check by a fine minerality in this terrific example of a foreign grape that s found a home in Greece. Distinctive Imports, Antioch, IL Domaine Skouras $ Peloponnese Almyra Chardonnay ^ Broad and leesy, this is a silky, sophisticated chardonnay. A stony minerality rises through the plump white peach and yellow apple flavors, keeping them firm, aligned with acidity that brings freshness to the finish. George Skouras grows this at vineyards he planted about 20 years ago in Nemea; this vintage has about 20 percent less new oak than usual Tselepos $ Mantinia Classic Moschofilero ^ From the master of moschofilero, this is an elegant wine, the variety s florality subdued by a distinct minerality, and the fruit wrapped into the wine s lanolin-broad texture. It lasts, stealthy and firm, a match for grilled haloumi cheese. Distinctive Imports, Antioch, IL Gaia $ Peloponnese Notiós (Best Buy) ^ Give this a little air if it s initially green oniony (reductive); then the fruit comes forward in a burst of lime zest and juice. It s spicy and mineral, too, a savory blend of moschofilero and roditis that s pitch perfect for a green salad topped with grilled shrimp or chicken. Athenee Importers & Distributors, Hempstead, NY Semeli $ Peloponnese Mountain Sun Moschofilero (Best Buy) ^ Fresh and floral, with light rose and spice aromas, this is a delicate moschofilero. Play the limey fruit off of fish tacos this summer. V.O.S. Selections, NY Skouras $ Peloponnese Zoe (Best Buy) ^ A blend of roditis with the floral moschofilero, this strikes a refreshing balance of bright citrus flavor and delicate blossom scents. It lasts, vivacious and thirst quenching. Diamond Importers, Chicago, IL My Big Fat Greek Wine $ Peloponnese Chardonnay (Best Buy) ^ Creamy and ripe, this is a good alternative to New World chardonnay, the plump pineapple and spiced oak scents full without being blowsy. Hellas Import, Brookline, MA ISLAND RED CRETE Economou $ Sitia ^ Yiannis Economou makes this wine from the smaller-berried clone of liatiko, the vines around 80 years old. He adds a splash of mandilari, which gives red highlights to the dark color and flavor of the wine. But what stands out most is the scent, a complex mix of forest berries and forest floor, with the fruitiness of white mushrooms and a faint whiff of sea air. It s spicy, long and elegant, a timeless red for drinking over the course of days, with cheese. Frederick Wildman and Sons, NY Alexakis $ Crete Kotsifali-Syrah (Best Buy) ^ The combination of green herbs and black fruit give this a cabernet franc like flavor. It s surprisingly supple for all its rich fruit, almost tapenade-like in its darkness. Pour it with pissaladière this summer. Diamond Importers, Chicago, IL Karavitakis $ Crete The Little Red Prince Unoaked (Best Buy) ^ A traditional blend of kotsifali and mandilari, this is gulpably delicious in its supple, herbal fruit and light, supple body. Especially good with grilled haloumi. Athenee Lyrarakis $ Crete Kotsifali (Best Buy) ^ Grenachelike in its spicy, fresh cherry fruit, this is light and easy, a casual by-the-glass pour. Stellar Importing Co., Astoria, NY My Big Fat Greek Wine $ Heraklion Merlot (Best Buy) ^ Earthy and green, this is a tangy, savory merlot with a slightly charry finish. For grilled fennel sausages. Hellas Import, Brookline, MA CYCLADES Estate Argyros $ Cyclades Mavrotragano ^ Dark, dense and satiny, this is an opulent mavrotragano, the variety s formidable tannins ripened to smoothness. It smells almost like a dessert wine, it s so ripe and concentrated, but the saline minerality and the herbal spice say otherwise: This is savory and firm, riding the line between rustic and sophisticated in an appealing way. Athenee Importers & Distributors, W I N E & S P I R I T S A U G U S T

4 87 Estate Argyros $ Cyclades Atlantis (Best Buy) ^ Made from mandilaria with ten percent mavrotragano and aged in barrel for six months, this is oaky and forward, the fruit as sweet and red as grenadine. With air, herbal notes come up to curb the sweetness and add detail. Give it a light chill to serve with sausages. Athenee Moraitis $ Paros Reserve (Best Buy) ^ The sweet oak on this wine doesn t hide its considerable, dry tannins. In the middle, however, it s earthy, peppery and rich in black raspberry flavor. A blend of mandilaria co-fermented with the white grape monemvassia, it s an internationally styled red with Mediterranean flavor. V.O.S. Selections, NY MAINLAND RED C E N T R A L G R E E C E Tsantali $ Rapsani Grand Reserve ^ Earthy and dark, this cloaks its formidable tannins in a velvet blanket of black raspberry and cherry flavor. While it s ripe, it s also detailed, the old-vine intensity of its fruit coupled with fragrant spice and lacy acidity. It should age well over the next decade, when you could decant it with an herbed pork roast. Fantis Imports, Carlstadt, NJ Koutsogiorgakis $ Evia Kamares (Best Buy) ^ This feels light and bright even as the fruit is brooding and dark, dried cherry and cranberry sweetness mingling with a tea-like astringency. A blend of 80 percent vradiano with cabernet sauvignon and merlot, it s rustic and intriguing, a match for liver and caramelized onions. River Horse Imports, NY Estate Hatzimichalis $ Atalanti Valley Syrah (Best Buy) ^ Chewy black-plum flavors with a full complement of licorice and black pepper spice make this clearly syrah. It s honest and firm, if a little heavy. Fantis Tsantali $ Rapsani Reserve (Best Buy) ^ Oak smoke and spice threaten to overtake the red cherry fruit of this wine, but the fruit holds its own. Give it a year in bottle and pour with a lamb stifado. Fantis E P I R U S Domaine Katsaros $ Krania Cabernet Sauvignon ^ Dimitrios Katsaros started planting grapes in Krania, a small, remote village in Epirus, Western Greece, in Now working with his son, Evripidis, he makes one of the most compelling cabernets in Greece, a dark, tight red that reflects the area s rugged terrain. It s ripe but firm, the black fruit fully girded with gritty tannins, the acidity winding its way through it to liberate brighter notes of woodland herbs and spice. Decant before pouring with a tenderloin steak. Cava Spiliadis, Astoria, NY M A C E D O N I A Domaine Gerovassiliou $ Epanomi Avaton ^ A potent red, the 2011 Avaton is one of Gerovassiliou s most polished variations on this blend of limnio, mavroudi and mavrotragano. It recalls a Bordeaux in structure the linear tannins, the gravelly earthiness, the opulent oak all framing savory fruit only this wine is filled with the sun, the fruit chocolate-dark and spicy. It deserves years in the cellar, though it s impressive now with time in a decanter and a thick-cut steak. Cava Spiliadis, Astoria, NY Vaeni $ Naoussa Grande Reserve ^ While 2006 was a difficult vintage in Naoussa, characterized by a cool, wet spring and a hot summer,

5 the Vaeni cooperative made the most of the grapes they received in this selection for Grande Reserve. The tannins are still formidable, but they seem to have held the cherryred fruit in a state of perpetual youth, tense and juicy. The wine unfolds over the course of days, gaining in earthy spice and herbal savor, but the fruit never wavers. Accent it with a dish of duck legs braised with cherries. Stellar Importing Co., Astoria, NY Ktima Voyatzi $ Velvento ^ Gauzy and ethereal, this is impossibly elegant for a blend of xinomavro, merlot and cabernet sauvignon (65/20/15). And yet here it is, the fine tannins and lacy acidity seeming to create a sort of invisible mesh that suspends the red berry fruit in air. It lasts, smoky and mineral, a whole new take on xinomavro. Nestor Imports, NY Domaine Gerovassiliou $ Epanomi Evangelo ^ A blend of syrah with a dash of viognier, this is glossy and fine, a vast expanse of rich purple fruit. While it s not showing a lot of detail at the moment, the fruit has a meatiness that suggests a long life ahead. Cava Spiliadis, Astoria, NY Domaine Karydas $ Naoussa ^ A traditionally styled Naoussa, this wins on its fragrance, a complex mix of floral herbs and forest floor that seasons the richer cherry fruit underneath and brings Old World elegance. The tannins are smooth, the acidity firm, making it ready to pour with a cinnamon-tinged beef tagine Ktima Voyatzi $ Velvento Tsapournakos ^ Yiannis Voyatzis, the enologist at Boutari, makes this wine at his family vineyards in Velventos, south of Naoussa. The local tsapournakos turns out to be identical to cabernet franc, a similarity clear in this wine s black pepper and black currant flavor and foresty, herbal lift. And while it starts out feeling a little dense and blocky, with two days open the wine comes alive, the fruit and herbs crunchy in their freshness. It s light enough to drink 7 4 W I N E & S P I R I T S A U G U S T with roasted asparagus, rich enough for a hanger steak. Nestor Imports, NY Argatia $ Macedonia Xinomavro ^ Haroula Spinthiropoulou s winery is in the higher, cooler outskirts of Naoussa, just on the other side of the appellation s border, which is why this is labeled Macedonia. Her 2009 shows how delicate xinomavro can be, the wine lean and herbal, the acidity giving it a vibrant nervosity. The tannins are firm yet fine, the flavors more dried tomato and black olive than cherry. It s a hunger-inducing red for braised lamb. Verity Wine Partners, NY Vaeni $ Naoussa Damascenos ^ This is surprisingly fresh for a 2008, the fruit echoing the juicy-seedy balance of just-picked black raspberries. It lasts with a lamb-chop gaminess that adds to the savor, while xinomavro s indomitable acidity keeps the wine feeling translucent rather than heavy. Smoky and firm, it s ready for lamb chops. Stellar Importing Co., Astoria, NY Alpha Estate $ Amyndeon Utopia ^ Made from tannat grown at 2,263 feet, with a small splash of xinomavro (5 percent), this is a wild wine, with a cassis intensity and a ton of tannins. As dark as night yet sunny in the richness of its fruit, it s a fascinating rendition of a Southwestern French grape grown in ample sun Boutari $ Naoussa (Best Buy) ^ Boutari s basic Naoussa, this is mouthwatering from the first whiff, with dried cherry, mushroom and smoke scents. The flavors follow, retaining an ethereal, airy quality, even as the wine builds in earthiness. It goes down easily, the tannins ferrous but smooth, light enough for seafood, like octopus braised in red wine. Terlato Wines Int l., Lake Bluff, IL Domaine Gerovassiliou $ Epanomi ^ This wine shows off the spicy charms of limnio, an ancient variety that Evangelos Gerovassiliou resurrected. Padded out with syrah and merlot, this blend is sweetly ripe and dense with extract, a showy, modern wine with an Old World twist. Cava Spiliadis, Astoria, NY Domaine Katsaros $ Krania Merlot ^ A huge wine, this is built for a steakhouse, smoky oak deepening the licorice blackness of its fruit. That fruit is still youthful and plump at six years old, an invisible acidity supporting it from deep within. It feels as though it could age easily for another ten years; if you open it now, let it breathe in a decanter while you grill a porterhouse steak. Cava Spiliadis, Astoria, NY Dom. Porto Carras $ Cotes de Meliton Limnio ^ There s a wild-strawberry brightness in the midst of this wine s purple fruit flavors, and a cuminlike spice that gives it an exotic flair. With ripe, fine tannins and refreshing acidity, it s a summer red with character, for pouring with a mixed grill. Athenee Importers & Distributors, Tsantali $ Ismarikos Maronia Vineyards Mavroudi (Best Buy) ^ This is fresh and juicy, with just enough tannins lining its smooth, plummy fruit to handle a burger. Fantis

6 86 Vaeni $ Naoussa (Best Buy) ^ If you want a mature wine for a song, here s an option: This is soft and gentle, the flavors all earth, iron and roasted meat, with a scent that might bring to mind sharpening pencils. It s all very light, but pleasant enough, ready for mushroom pasta. Stellar Importing Co., Astoria, NY PELOPONNESE Papaioannou $ Corinthia Pinot Noir ^ This is no parallel to Burgundy. But if you re looking for a compelling take on the grape with a distinctly Mediterranean feel, this is terrific. Like the color, everything here is intensified, pinot noir magnified by the sun: lush, red cherry fruit lifted with plenty of spice; herbal aromas that skirt closer to flowers than leaves. What it isn t is sweet or baked: It s concentrated and savory, with a lovely freshness that rings through the density of fruit and oak. Give it another few years in the bottle and decant for lamb shanks. Fantis blended in to bolster the agiorgitiko, but the wine feels firm and savory, an elegant version of a modern Nemean red. Diamond Importers, Chicago, IL Mercouri Estate $ Letrini Domaine Mercouri ^ Mercouri has been growing refosco since the founder, Theodoros Mercouri, brought some cuttings back from Northern Italy in the late 1800s. While this shares the black-fruited flavors common to the Italian versions, the rest of the wine is a pure reflection of this estate at the western edge of the Peloponnese: wild and archaic, with a bay-scented view of the Mediterranean sea. It s so tannic it takes a day to find its stride; then the tannins seem to melt into the fruit, giving them an almost chewy fleshiness. Anise, herbs and saline minerality complete the picture. It could use another five years in the bottle; then pour with something gamey and rich. Athenee Skouras $ Peloponnese Synoro ^ A blend of equal parts cabernet franc and merlot with 20 per- cent agiorgitiko, this has a surprisingly Loirelike feel, the fruit peppery and brisk. It s the juiciness that marks it as more southern, a roundness and ease that make it hard to resist right now, especially if hanger steak showered with fresh-cut herbs is on the table Domain Mega Spileo $ Achaia Grand Cave ^ This comes from a monastery vineyard in Kalavrita, a parcel that rises 2,625 feet above the Vouaikos River in the north-central Peloponnese. A blend of 60 percent mavrodaphne and 40 percent mavro kalavritino, a rare local grape, this is dark and spicy, with a pleasantly sweet-sour balsamic note to its damson plum flavor. For mediapool.it Enjoy the finest wines of the Alps! cantinabolzano.com Parparoussis $ Achaia Taos ^ Smoother and gentler than most vintages of this wine, this is an exotic, spicy red. Made entirely of mavrodaphne, a variety employed in the region s famed sweet wines, it tastes of black currants and herbs, saffron and cedar, with a saline edge of minerality. The variety s high acidity keeps the wine feeling lifted and breezy despite its mavro (black) flavors; the tannins stick the flavors to the lips. Pour it with something exotic and Old World, like quinces stuffed and roasted with ground, spiced lamb. Cava Spiliadis, Astoria, NY Skouras $ Peloponnese Megas Oenos ^ Although the name, big wine, suggests a bruiser, this 2010 is one of the most graceful vintages of Megas Oenos in recent memory. Sure, it s dark and generously fruited, but the fruit comes in layers, scents of earth, spice and fir trees bringing to mind the scent of Nemea s higher, cooler elevations. There s some vanilla from oak, and 20 percent cabernet Chelsea Market 425 West 15 th Street, NYC Mini Doughnuts Hot Fresh Uniquely Sugared (212) doughnuttery.com

7 eggplant stuffed with spiced ground veal. Greek Boys Choice Foods, Tarpon Springs, FL Skouras $ Nemea Grande Cuvée Agiorgitiko ^ From a long, cool growing season, this has an unusual toughness for agiorgitiko, a tannic grip that, in combination with the mature fruit, inspired many comparisons to nebbiolo around our tasting table. While the color is browning, the flavors are surprisingly fresh, sweet red cherry fruit lightly seasoned with leather, licorice and oregano notes. Catch it now, with a pork stifado. Diamond Importers, Chicago, IL Tselepos $ Arcadia Kokkinomilos Merlot ^ Grown at nearly 2,500 feet in altitude in rocky clay soils just southeast of Tripoli, this is rich and plummy yet structured, a warm stoniness permeating the fruit. It s almost beefy in its savor, with a lightly herbal edge, and would be good decanted and served with a thick, aged steak. Distinctive Imports, Antioch, IL Papaioannou $ Nemea Estate Saint George-Agiorgitiko (Best Buy) ^ From a vintage marked by high temperatures and low production (yields were down 40 percent in Nemea), this is a ripe red, richly upholstered in oak and plump, velvety fruit. With mature notes of earth and herbs, it s a warming wine for roast lamb. Fantis Gaia $ Peloponnese Notiós Agiorgitiko (Best Buy) ^ Cherry fresh with a licorice note and dark florality, this smells delicious from first whiff. Those generous scents open into a supple wine, dark and tangy, the bright acidity making it exceptionally easy to drink. Athenee Importers & Distributors, Hempstead, NY Tsantali $ Nemea Reserve (Best Buy) ^ While this wine has mellowed into a pleasantly leafy, sweet-sour cherry fruit flavor, the oak is still sweet and gripping. Pour it with a thick seared steak and it may come into better balance. Fantis Spiliotopoulos $ Messinia Dimitra (Best Buy) ^ A rustic blend of cabernet sauvignon with 20 percent merlot, this contrasts candied cherry flavors with earthy, herbal notes. Soft and easy, it s to drink now with polenta and sautéed kale. Nestor Imports, NY DESSERT Argyros Estate $30/500ml 2007 Santorini Vin Santo 4 Years Barrel Aged ^ Plush and intricately spiced, this is the sort of dessert wine that keeps you sitting at the table long after dinner is done. While it s caramel-sweet, it s not at all cloying; a host of flowers, minty herbs, pine and brown sugar all come into play. It parcels out these flavors slowly, the wine as firm as the volcanic stone that lies under the sand of these vineyards, with a vivid sea-spray saltiness that works like a sprinkle of fleur de sel on caramel to up the deliciousness. Athenee Importers & Distributors, Parparoussis $35/500ml 2008 Muscat de Rio Patras ^ The longer this golden wine sits in the glass, the more detail comes forward. Grown at a patch of old vines in the lower altitudes of Patras, just east of the port, it s redolent of orange blossoms and bergamot tea, with a seductive smoky note and lemon lift. Vibrant despite its concentration, the flavors last on a long, silky texture. To drink and marvel at all on its own, or with goat cheese. Cava Spiliadis, Astoria, NY Sigalas $26/500ml 2008 Cyclades Apiliotis (Best Buy) ^ Paris Sigalas sun dries mandilaria (once a common red variety on Santorini), then presses the grapes and puts the juice into oak casks, where it mellows for two years. The 2008 comes off as weightless, yet it s a plush, lofty red that fills the mouth with warm plum flavor. It finishes more savory than sweet, with a sanguine volcanic note. For cheese. Diamond Importers, Chicago, IL Cavino $13 Mavrodaphne of Patras Deus (Best Buy) ^ Cavino is headquartered in Aigio, just east of the port of Patras. Of all the winery s wines we tasted, this one, from their home appellation, was the most impressive, a mavrodaphne that stands out for its savor and detail. Here sweetness is the motor rather than the starring element, a current that sweeps along vinous flavors of pomegranate, walnuts, plums and light spice. Concentrated rather than thick, with citrus highlights, this wine would be as delicious with highly spiced meat kofta as with a walnut cake. Greek Boys Choice Foods, Tarpon Springs, FL Economou $45/500ml 2000 Sitia ^ Yiannis Economou began resurrecting his family s vineyards in 1994, after years of studying and working in Piedmont. The vines, most 60 to 70 years old and ungrafted, grow at about 2,000 feet at the eastern end of Crete. This cuvée, a blend of 80 percent liatiko and 20 percent mandilaria, is caramel rich and super spicy, with salty, herbal notes riding into a sweet-savory finish. Give it time in a decanter before serving with cheese. Frederick Wildman and Sons, NY Spyros Hatziyiannis $30/500ml 2004 Santorini Vinsanto ^ This tastes of sesame and honey, orange zest and caramel; those flavors last, lightly spicy, as rich as halvah and yet not at all cloying. It s a terrific bottle to have in your pantry, ready to dress up an apple pie or a cheese course. Fantis UWC Samos $20/500ml 2008 Samos Anthemis ^ Aged for five years in cask, this is a whole different animal than the bright yellow, generic Samos that so often comes as a free pour at the end of a Greek meal. It tastes like a Greek walnut cake in all the best ways spicy, honeyed and nutty, with citrus highlights and a tender yet firm texture. Those flavors deepen with air, edging toward strawberry, building in spice. The acidity keeps it lively ready for honeysoaked semolina cake or aged Gouda. Athenee UWC Samos $15/500ml 2013 Samos Vin Doux (Best Buy) ^ A fortified, late-harvested muscat, this is a big dessert wine filled with sweet honey, lemon and orange flavor and a spirity edge. Pair it with dense desserts, like rich blue cheeses or tangy cheesecake. Athenee Importers & Distributors, Greek Wine Cellars $12 Mavrodaphne of Patras Kourtaki (Best Buy) ^ Light and sweet with flavors of dried cherry and Earl Grey tea, this is an easy after-dinner choice to sip on its own or with biscotti. Nestor Imports, NY 7 6 W I N E & S P I R I T S A U G U S T