Wines from the heights - Greece takes on Italy
Italy meets Greece in a very interesting tasting of wines from higher altitudes from both then north and south of both countries.
This was the theme that April afternoon in such a lovely, sunny Copenhagen, that it might as well have been Italy or Greece.
Maria from Oinofilia and Fabio from Cibi e Vini share their way of picking their producers carefully, as they both prefer to seek out organic or biodynamic wine producers, who also focus on sustainability.
The tasting brought us to places such as Kalavryta and Amyndeo in Greece and, Alto Adige, Trentino and Basilicata in Italy, so one would expect varietal diversity, and indeed...
The one thing, the wines had in common, was freshness - I would have been somewhat expecting that from eg. Alto Adige and Trentino, but maybe less so from Kalavryta all the way down in Peleponnes, but the wines were indeed all fresh.
I really loved the concept. Super cozy, the venue being a former atelier tugged away from the noice of the streets. Not a classic lecture, rather you asked for information and got it :-)
The regions (Soil, percipation, temperature - Amyndeo is the coolest region in Greece!) are obvisously very different, as are the ways of winemaking with each vigneron - not that I am going to delve very deep into any of this at this moment.
The wines w/very short notes from back then
Tetramythos Malagousia 2014
Very aromatic with lime, floral notes, heather, apple and pear. Medium intensity of flavours such as green apples and lime. Light bodies w/ample acidity and medium alcohol.
Garlider Valle Isarco Sylvaner 2015
Medium aromatic. White peach, warm vanilla, honeydew melon and some hay. More intensity on the palate. Pear, gooseberries, peach and a salty note. Rather spicy! Medium acidity. Actually had a rather creamy feel to it. Medium body. Good length.
Fun fact: Garlider is said to make the only Pinot Nero in Valle Isarco!
Karanika Terra Levea Assyrtiko Amyndeo 2015
Medium intensity of aromas. Pears and floral notes. Apricot and honey. Citrus and chamomile.
Medium + acidity, medium intensity of flavours. Lots of pears and a spicy feel. Probably needs more time to open up. Medium body.
Pedrotti Schiava Nera Vigneti delle Dominiti 2015
Schiava is known as Trollinger in Germany.
Extremely pale ruby color. Had it been a rosé, I had called medium salmon.
Medium aromaintensity. Strawberries, some churnet notes, strawberries and a green note, that might come from the stems? Medium flavourintensity. Medium acidity and but no tannins.
Tetramythos Black of Kalavryta 2015
Medium + aroma intensity. Raspberries and cherries with pepperish notes. See some similarities to some leaner Burgenland Blaufränkisch like Krutzler. Definitely dry. Medium intensity. Cherry and cherry stone, distinct bitterness. Medium bodies.
Karanika Xinomavro Limnionia 2012
75% Xinomavro and it shows. Blackberries, leather and sundried tomatoes. But it has a spicy feel together with minerality. I simply love this wine! Medium+ acidity and medium+ tannins. Medium+ body.
Pedrotti L'Auro Vigneti delle Dolomiti 2012
80/20 Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend. Medium garnet. Medium+ aroma intensity. Savoury notes of menthol and licquorice as well as wild strawberries. Medium+ flavour intensity. Strawberries and balsamico.
Medium acidity. Medium alcohol and medium/medium+ body.
Clealy a mature wine, but a lovely one!
Musto Carmelitano Serra del Prete Aglianico del Vulture 2012
Medium+ aroma intensity. Red and black fruits, eg. strawberries, black cherries. Whiff of lavender. Licquorice and leather.
High in tannin, as would be expected from Aglianico, medium+ acidity and a medium+ flavour intensity with distinct notes of menthol and licquorice.