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
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.
