It’s been a good few years since I’ve featured a line-up of Greek wines, so when I received a small selection of them from Wines of Greece, I was very pleased to have the opportunity to taste through these fascinating examples of what is being produced there today.
A combination of terrific indigenous grape varieties, a patchwork of unique terroirs, a new generation of young winemakers not afraid to do things their way, reasonable pricing, and a wonderful balance of both traditional and cutting-edge winemaking make Greek wines an extremely attractive option these days.
As you can witness below, I rated almost all of these “Very good” or above, and as you can see, they are all extremely accessibly priced for the quality contained within.
2023 Oenops Alpa White (Assyrtiko/Malagousia/Vidiano), Drama, Macedonia, Greece – Nicholas Pearce Wines $22.95 (750ml glass bottle)
This well-crafted white blend from Drama, Macedonia exhibits an impressively complex nose of grapefruit, spring nettles, wet stone/flint, and an extremely pleasant herbal edge. Upon warming up in the glass one will find some ripe honeydew melon also. On the palate, there’s a lot of ripe pear accompanied with crisp malic acid, a nice lees-influenced texture, and a lovely weight on the mid-palate. There’s a lengthy minerally finish here too. This one is calling out for some grilled octopus with herbs, salt, and a squirt of lemon. This is really rather delicious.
NV Kechris Kechribari Retsina (Roditis), Greece (Alcohol 11.5% Residual Sugar 3 g/l) LCBO $9.95 (500ml glass bottle)
While I can respect the history and tradition around the Retsina style, given the choice, I rarely drink more than a thimble-full of the stuff for pleasure. All of that being said, this producer has been at the forefront of bring Retsina into the 21st Century, bringing freshness and vitality to a wine style that only a decade ago was falling off the cliff of vinous irrelevance. I’ll tell upfront that although pine-resin is certainly to the fore here, it’s certainly way more reserved than many other examples, and even more reserved as this self-same wine 15 years back. While, for some, it may be an acquired taste or something that needs to be enjoy in situ, in the right context, beside the sea in Greece, this is a great value wine what ever way one looks at it.
2022 Mega Spileo “Cuvee III” Red Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon/Mavrodaphne/Agiorgitiko) PGI Achaia, Peloponne, Greece – Kolonaki Fine Wines & Spirits – LCBO Vintages $21.95 (750ml glass bottle)
Over the last decade I’ve warmed to the idea of blending international grape varieties with more native ones. Not everyone gets it right, but this bottling from Mega Spileo is certainly on the correct trajectory. I’d recommend this for anyone with a penchant for less-expensive Californian reds, as it’s not a great leap from those wines to what we have here. The oak is pretty dominant, and there’s a fair bit of residual sugar, but all in all the wine shows well, and I can see it being quite a crowd pleaser. The bouquet is all about blackberries, the Cab really stands out here, with mocha, toffee, licorice, and vanillin wood spice all dialled up to 11+. Personally, I’d prefer the fruit without all that oak framing, but I can see why they made those particular winemaking decisions for more mass-appeal. Tannins are subject to more management than previous vintages I have experienced. Drinks well all by itself.
