In light of my good experience with a Naoussa red wine last week I decided to give another a go. This time a 2003 Grande Reserve from Boutari’s Naoussa estate. This wine should have some things in common with Dyo Elias, such as the region and company, but is an older wine comprising 100% Xinomavro grape. My limited grasp of Greek precludes me from obtaining any more useful information from the bottle though. Having obtained this at Greek duty free, I am not sure of its availability in the UK.
This was a very different beast to Dyo Elias. The colour is pale ruby, with some browning at the edges. The smell by contrast is extremely pungent; bright and fruity but with cigar box and chocolate hints and tones of dried apricots. However, the taste was a letdown in comparison. At first it is overwhelmed by tannins, perhaps suggesting that this should age more. This tannin hit drops off abruptly to a softer finish, but one that was too weak after the initial kick. Having said that, the wine did seem to mellow after an hour or two of being open and a more rounded wine appeared, showing up some of the rich and long lasting flavours of the Xinomavro. This might need to be aged or decanted for better drinking.
Naoussa Grande Reserve 2003
Naoussa, Macedonia, Greece
Athens Airport Duty Free - price unknown but somewhere between £15 and £20
3.5/5
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I had this wine last night in Santorin at The Blue Note restaurant in Imerovigli, Santorini (Greece). I wasn't expecting such a well made wine. I agree with you comments on the nose, but I found the tannins smooth, and the wine very well balanced. Medium bodied, with flavors of cherry and licorice and a nice finish. At $20 this wine is an extreme price-performer.
ReplyDeleteLucky you being in Santorini at this time! Good to hear your comments - I did enjoy the wine, its just for me it took time to come together, but once it did it was very good.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, given you are on Santorini, have you come accross the Assyrtiko wines there yet? One by Santo wines is good, but there are numerous good examples of this by other producers. For me this is one of Greece's best wines.
By the way, I should have noted that the Assyrtiko wines are generally full flavoured minerally dry whites with citrus fruits and good acidity.
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