Posts Tagged ‘Greek wines’

Tasting Wines from Greece at Mavrommátis

Tuesday, April 4th, 2017
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

We’ve been to wine tastings at the Greek restaurant Mavrommátis, and we always leave looking forward to their next one. This year, on March 27, thirteen wine producers from Greece presented their wines during a special tasting at this handsome establishment on rue Daubenton in the 5th arrondissement.

Pouring Estate Argyros

Pouring Estate Argyros
Photograph by Tom Reeves

Thirteen wine stands — that’s a lot of wine! To limit alcohol intake, a professional taster will swirl the wine in his mouth, do a retro-olfaction trick (a way of tasting the wine without swallowing), and then spit the wine into a special bucket. I like to take small sips and swallow, the way wine is supposed to be drunk. So, to limit our consumption of alcohol, my wife and I chose to visit only three stands and taste no more than three wines at each stand.

Stefanos Georgas of Estate Argyros

Stefanos Georgas of Estate Argyros
Photograph by Tom Reeves

We first visited the stand of Stefanos Georgas, where we sipped a crisp white wine called AOC Santorin Assyrtiko Argyros. “The best wine for under $30 according to The New York Times,” Mr. Georgas declared. And I believe him. We then tasted his IGP Cyclades Argyros Atlantis, a very slightly-sweet rosé with an agreeable taste that I couldn’t identify. “Strawberry,” Mr. Georgas said. Finally, we tasted a Vinsanto 20 ans Domain Argyros, a blend of three sun-dried grape varieties, aged in oak casks for seventeen years and in the bottle for three. Intensely sweet, it was like drinking ambrosia. We purchased a bottle of both the Assyrtiko Argyros and the Vinsanto, took them home, and sipped away.

Effie Kallinikidou

Effie Kallinikidou for Domain Lyrarakis
Photograph by Tom Reeves

“Let’s go to the far side of the restaurant to see what we can find,” I said to my wife. There, in the corner, we found Effie Kallinikidou, export manager for Lyrarakis. This estate is located on Crete, the largest island of Greece. We tasted IGP Crète Domain Lyrarakis Vilana, a light, delicately-flavored white wine of 100% Vilana grape. I liked it because it was delicately flavored, while my wife would have preferred something with more character. We purchased a bottle and drank it as an apéritif before dinner.

Athanasios S. Parparoussis of Domain Parparoussis
Photograph by Tom Reeves

Finally, we walked by the stand of Athanasios S. Parparoussis, who was pouring IGP Achaïa Domain Parparoussis Dons de Dionysas Sideritis. This white wine had a slight licorice flavor and was not too dry for our taste. We both enjoyed this one.

A week after the tasting, the Greek wines that we purchased are almost gone. Happily, we can restock at La Cave Mavrommátis at 47, rue Censier, down the street and around the corner from the restaurant.

* * * * * * *
Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!

Tasting Wine from the Stelios Kechris Estate at Mavrommatis

Friday, April 3rd, 2015
Facebook Twitter Linkedin
Stelios Kechris - Winemaker

Stelios Kechris – Winemaker
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Last Friday we attended a presentation of the wines of Stelios Kechris, a winemaker from Kalochori – a small town in Thessaloniki in the Macedonia region of Greece. The event was held at the wine shop Mavrommatis, located near the foot of rue Mouffetard in the 5th arrondissement of Paris.

Quatrième Dimension "t" and Kechribari

Quatrième dimension “t” and Kechribari
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

We tasted two whites and two reds and ended up buying a bottle of Kechribari, a white wine made from 100% Roditis grape; and Quatrième Dimension “t”, a red wine made from 50% Xinomavro, 30% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Back home, we served these with the meals that we prepared and, at the same time, recorded our appreciations of the wines.

Tasting the Kechribari was a real surprise for me because it expressed a light fragrance and flavor of pine resin. Until that moment, I had never sampled a resinated Greek wine at the Mavrommatis cellar. In fact, one of the winemakers whom I met there told me that resin was traditionally used to cover up defects in wine and that a good wine maker avoids the use of this substance. However, Kechribari was a pleasure to drink – with a robe of brilliant pale gold, it tasted light, slightly tannic, and a bit peppery with notes of lime. For me, this wine would be a refreshing apéritif served chilled on a warm summer’s day, or would be appropriately served with a chicken or pasta dish.

At the tasting, the Quatrième Dimension “t” expressed an aroma and flavor of cooked red fruits. We purchased a bottle, took it home, and opened it the next day. This time, the cooked red-fruit sensation that we had appreciated at the tasting was missing. However, the following day we tried it again and voilà! – the flavor had returned. It only needed a few hours after opening for its full flavors to develop. Medium-bodied and dry, this wine enhanced our appreciation of the steak that we prepared that evening.

* * * * * * *
Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!