Long overdue to tell you about this beautiful wine for summer. This one hails from Greece and is a beauty for those looking for something clean, refreshing and made from a grape we don't hear enough about ... Today it's the Kir-Yianni 2023 Assyrtiko, Le Nord
Sometimes you taste a wine with absolutely no preconceptions and sip after sip you find you are blown away by what it has to offer. This was the case when I tried today's wine:
Kitma Kir-Yianni 2022 Akakies Sparkling
 |
| Domaine Costa Lazardi 2012 Amethystos White grapes: Sauvignon Blanc, Assyrtiko, Semillon Nice freshness and grassy tendency with good acidity (*** 1/2+) |
 |
| Domaine Costa Lazardi 2010 Amethystos Red grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Limnio Smooth and well-balanced, showing red and black fruit with white pepper notes on the finish (****) |
 |
| Domaine Costa Lazardi 2010 Oenodea Red grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Agiorgitiko, Syrah Good spice, plum and black cherry (****) |
 |
| Alpha Estate 2009 Estate Red grapes: Syrah, Xinomavro, Merlot Cocoa, cherry, raspberry with touches of herbal (****+) |
 |
| Alpha Estate 2009 Xinomavro Reserve Old Vines grape: Xinomavro Wonderful complexity with an explosion of fruit: blackberry, plum, blueberry plus vanilla, tarry and smoky - mouthfilling and lovely (**** 1/2) |
 |
| Boutari 2009 Naoussa grape: Xinomavro oak dried cherry that proves to be nice and pleasant (****) |
 |
| Boutari 2013 Santorini grape: Assyrtiko Starts off with an easy drinking sweetness but with a dry finish (*** 1/2+) |
 |
| Kir Yianni Estate 2010 Ramnista grape: Xinomavro Smoky and woodsy with blackberry fruit all with a nice cherry-woodsy finish (****) |
 |
| Santo Wines 2013 Santorini Assyrtiko grape: Assyrtiko Quite the quiet nose there's a nice peach pit / wet stone note to the palate (*** 1/2+) |
 |
| Domaine Gerovassiliou 2013 Estate White grape: Assyrtiko, Malagousia Pear, peach pit and grapefruit zest all nicely balanced (*** 1/2+) |
 |
| Domaine Gerovassiliou 2011 Avaton grape: Mavrotragano, Limnio, Mavroudi Coffee and cherry mix on the nose and palate making this wine real inviting (****) |
 |
| Domaine Spiropoulos 2009 Nemea grape: Agiorgitiko Smoked cherry with a mocha finish (*** 1/2+) |
 |
| Gaia Wines 2012 Agiorgitiko by Gaia grape: Agiorgitiko Bright cherry fruit that's fresh and lively with good acidity; no oak is used in this wine and it is fruity and yummy (****) |
 |
| Lantides 2012 Nemea grape: Agiorgitiko Black cherry and vanilla with a gentle spice from the 14 months in French oak, it's rich and quite fruity (****+) |
 |
| Zacharias 2010 Erythros grapes: Agiorgitiko, Cabernet Sauvignon Nice dark cherry, blueberry, mocha, vanilla, cinnamon with a peppery-spicy finish (****) |
 |
| Miso and Aji Mirin Marinated Black Cod with Wilted Baby Bok Choy and Enoki and Pearl Barley Risotto |
 |
| Too Cool Dessert ... Passion Fruit and White Chocolate Parfait |
When I first started buying wine there were a few places in the liquor store that I would always visit: Chile, Australia, Spain and Greece (Canadian wine, namely Ontario, I would visit the winery for – the LCBO, for me, is a place to buy the imports). My reasons were simple: Chile because they were my first love for reds; Australia because they seemed then, as now, hip and popular and I had to know why; Spain and Greece because their price point was pretty low and the wines were always good.
Problem was Spanish and Greek wines were not and still aren’t very plentiful here in Ontario. For example, where Chile gets two large-island-shelving unit (both sides – one for reds and one for whites) and Australia takes up 4 large-islands worth of product; Spain and Greece get a miniscule one side of an island for both their reds and whites, all lumped together. That equals not a lot of choice; which is why this show was such an eye-opener. I knew the Greeks made good quality wines at exceptional prices, but not this much, and from so many rich and wonderful native grapes (both reds and whites) and a plentitude of producers. Now they are also planting and blending their native wines with more international varieties. One attendee said to me, “they’ll never sell here, the names are too complicated and tough to remember.” But what the brain can’t retain the palate will remember – though I do see his point. Grapes with names like Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Savatiano (whites); Agiogitiko, Limnio and Mavrodaphne (reds) are all tough to remember and tougher to pronounce – but they are taking their place beside Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc on the bottle labels and making more outstanding wines then I remember having, in the days when my average bottle price was under ten dollars, the Aegean Island Red at $6.90 was an awesome little quaffer back then. The prices now don’t seem to have risen substantially but the quality is even better.
Sadly many of these wines never see the light of day on the LCBO shelves. Some are consignment only, while others are just not made in enough quantity or just remains “over there” due to lack of interest (the inability for many of these grape names to catch-on). Many of the wines I tasted at the show were not available, nor were there any release dates scheduled; though might I suggest a little experiment I think you’ll enjoy. The next time you head into the LCBO (or any liquor store, Canada, the U.S., wherever) check out the Greece section and just look for something that strikes your fancy; the value to quality ratio of the wine will surprise you (e.g. a 2001 Boutari Grande Reserve from the native Xinomavro grape retailed for $18 and tasted like it should be double that price). The price and quality will make taking a chance on a bottle of Greek wine well worth it.
