Meet the Winegrowers of Distomo...

Loukas Kastritis
Winemaking isn't something you do casually. It requires hard work, knowledge, attention to details, organization skills and above all a passion for viticulture. Loukas Kastritis possesses all. Born in a farming family, he was influenced in a young age by relatives who had a love for the land and what it provides. He was initiated in the secrets of viticulture and he has been sharpening his skills and expanding his knowledge ever since. Loukas is perhaps the poster boy of the "weekend residents" and the best winegrower of Distomo. He tends his vineyards with a religious devotion and unmistakable pride. Considering that he is growing grapes for his own use and enjoyment, the quality of wines he produces rivals and in some instances exceeds those commercially produced in Greece and abroad. Often, I find it too difficult to resist the temptation to tell Loukas that he should bottle his wines and build a cellar for preserving and ageing them. Initially, he brushed off the idea as wines "are best young and fresh out of the barrel". But 3-4 months after the barrels are open and in the heat of July and August, I would bring up the subject again as the wines are

noticeably oxidized resulting to an almost undrinkable potion.

In March when I arrived in Distomo this year, Loukas--who is, by the way, my dear cousin--asked me to come to his estate to see something. He took me to the basement of the house where he proudly showed me a recently renovated area which will become his wine cellar. I was extremely pleased both for him and for me as I felt that some of the seeds I have been sowing for the past 4-5 years are sprouting finally. So, stay tuned for further developments in the Loukas Kastritis' Vineyards.

"Natural" Wines...

There is a lot of controversy lately--so it seems--in the US between natural wine advocates and "others". NYTimes has a good article on the subject. Being a supporter of natural wines and coming from a village where most wines are organic, I concur with the writer of the article. I would like to hear your views on the subject. Send your comments...

2003 Βερβά Red

Early in the turn of the new century my village experienced sort of a renaissance as wine making became popular again. Many "weekend-residents", as they are known because they escape from Athens to the village during the weekend and holidays, bought land in prime wine growing areas, or added and replaced their vines--those that were fortunate to own grape vines. The first vintage was in 2003 and it was my first acquaintance with local wines since I left from Greece as a teenager. The wines were French varietals--blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah--and initially light-bodied, typical of a young vineyard. It had a brilliant red garnet color and the blending of all three was an excellent combination of color, taste and body.

When I first tasted the 2003 Red from the Βερβά vineyards in 2004 it was a modest red wine, light bodied and lacking character. Over the years the wine improved a bit but still remained an uninteresting one. So I was very pleased when I tried it again in May 2010. While it remains a light body--both in appearance and taste--it is now very smooth and very well balanced. While it is lean, it is also lively and refreshing. It is very good with light mediterranean food. Its color remains a brilliant ruby and it should be good for another 3-4 years in a cellar. I give it 89 points.

There is a point that should not be missed here--for the neophytes in wine ageing. The improvement in this wine from 2004 to 2010 with proper preservation is remarkable. Although it hasn't become a great wine, mostly because of the age of the vines in 2003, it is now a good wine!

1986 Chevalier de Bayard, Emissary Selection

Rated 94 points by the Wine Cellar

This is the week for 1986 French wines--so it turns out. I posted a couple of days ago a review of a 1986 Marc Bredif Vouvray white--an excellent wine, by the way--and I thought it is only fair to continue with a 1986 red as well. It is a 1986 Chevalier de Bayard that I have been aging since 1987. I bought two cases back then and have been drinking them--very slowly--on special occasions. The wine isn't a great one by French standards. In other words, it doesn't have the impressive credentials of French wines. It is a Vin de Pays from the l'Herault region--a modest wine. I bought it because it satisfied my not very sophisticated taste at that time. It had improved a bit as it matured, but I had almost forgotten that I had it. A couple of weeks ago as I was updating my cellar inventory, I noticed it and I thought it's probably way passed its prime. Worried about being embarrassed in case it's a flop, my wife and I decided to have it all by ourselves one beautiful May evening in our front patio. What a wise decision! The wine turned out to be one of the best wines I have tasted so far.

The first thing I noticed was its color. It was a brilliant ruby with no traces of brown--meaning it has a few years left before it's past its prime. With 11% alcohol, early bottles were a bit thin--perhaps its main weakness. This one, however, had a considerably improved body--one of the chief benefits of ageing wines. This wine doesn't have a great nose--no fruits, no complex flavors. Its greatest strength was an incredible round and long taste with almost perfect balance. You simply don't want the taste to end. We were so impressed with it, we decided not to drink it all that evening. We enjoyed this rare find over the next two nights. Have three bottles left and will be reporting on them in the next few years--hope it continues to improve.

I had bought this wine back in 1987 around $15 per bottle. Don't know what might cost today, but it is well worth it, for my taste. I give it 94 points!

Marc Bredif: 1986 Vouvray--Grand Annee...

Age DOES matter!

Rated 94 points by the Wine Cellar

In a recent post it was mentioned that I had the opportunity to visit the wine cellar of Marc Bredif wines in Vouvray in the Loire Valley of France this past April. What an an extraordinary experience that was! In the 2 km cellar, Marc Bredic Vouvray wines are perhaps the oldest white wines still available. Most people believe that white wines peak between 5 and 10 years--and that may be true for most wines. But the Vouvray wines we saw and tasted disprove that myth and the reason may be the almost ideal conditions of the Marc Bredif cellar.

We tasted several of the Marc Bredif wines, but the 1986 Vouvray, Grand Annee white was one of the best whites I have ever tasted--perhaps the best. Brilliant light gold color, full body, with all the wonderful complex flavors a 24 years old wine brings. Great balance of sweetness and fruits. A very pleasant lingering after taste. A truly great wine. It was the first time for me to taste a quality wine at a winemaker's cellar and undoubtedly the proper preservation of the wine does make a difference. You never know how well the wines are preserved from the time they leave the winemaker till they reach the consumer half the way around the world...

I have no illusions that I will ever taste wines that are rated in the 95 to 100 points range. And to be frank, I am not sure I would be able to fully appreciate the greatness of such wines. For that reason, I will have to rate this one nearly the top of my scale--94 points which professional wine tasters might find a bit high...I regret that I didn't bring with me a few bottles. Once I return to the US in the fall, I will try to locate the 1986 Vouvray--and if I do, hope I can afford it...