The youngest Vinsanto of Estate Argyros, demonstrating what youth is for such a wine. A strict selection of excessively old Assyrtiko, Aidani and Athiri vineyards in Episkopi, two hundred year old minimum, specifically earmarked for this style. Harvested at very deep ripeness, almost a month after the main picking date, giving insanely low yields. The grapes are sun dried for ten days, natural fermentation and three years of ageing takes place in old concrete vats, with additional aging for four years in old wooden vats. A luscious wine, with fruit at the forefront. Ready to drink on release but can age in bottle almost indefinitely. Final yield of this would be close to 75 ml per square metre of vineyard.
In appearance light ruby red. Intensely aromatic with red forest fruits such as strawberry and cherry. On the palate light, fruity, fresh with soft tannins and medium body.
Dense black-red color, with concentrated aromas: black fruits and oak wood, harmoniously framed by nuts and herbal hints. Tight structure in the mouth, dynamic, creamy, with worked tannins and beautiful acidity. "Nemea" is only in theory the simplest wine produced from Agiorgitiko and the Aivali winery. It has a concentration and character that would be envied by wines at three times the price, while it has a very intense, juicy red fruit, next to sweet vanilla spices and soft herbal notes. In the mouth, the volume and the concentration are unprecedented while its aftertaste is in a word velvety. It is one of the aromatic and expressive Nemea and one of the most reliable Greek wines.
Composition/Winemaking: 100% Assyrtiko from the emblematic Clos Stegasta vineyard. Spontaneous fermentation in a mixture of stainless-steel tanks, wooden vats and oak barrels. Bottled after seven months maturation on its lees.
Tasting notes: A wine of high energy and power that sets the bar for the variety. The nose shows a striking combination of citrus and honeysuckle along crushed rocks nuances. The palate is vibrant and focused ringing with flavor and movement. It is overlaid with purity and saline minerality and finishes impressively long.
Region / Location / Vineyard / Soil:
Amyndeon plateau. Amyndeon viticulture zone. North-western Macedonia. “Children’s” & “Horses” sub-regions. 69ha of linear privately owned vineyard. Altitude of 620-710 m. Sandy - sandy clay soil of excellent drainage over thin limestone layer.
Vinification Method & Ageing: Destemming, no crushing, cold soak – skin contact under controlled conditions, alcoholic fermentation at gradual increasing temperatures, maintenance of wine “sur lie” for eight months with regular stirring. Eighteen months in Allie - Bertrange oak casks medium - light toast. No treatment or filtration before bottling, and twelve months in bottles.
Tasting Characteristics:
Deep ruby color with purple hints. Powerful, pungent aromas of sweet cherry, candied plum and toasty vanillin oak. Full bodied and deep in dark fruit flavors, with a peppery and strong oak spicy accents background. The solid tannins build through the finish but there is plenty of supporting depth of fruit here, not to mention a bright acid lift on the back that adds energy. A ‘’Vin de Garde’’ with a great future.
Harmony:
Pairing harmoniously with juicy red meats, venison, barbecued or spicy cooked. Meat pies as well. Paired with aromatic-piquant cheeses assures another intriguing suggestion.
Fermented in stainless steel tanks. Short pre-fermentation maceration, inhibition of malolactic fermentation, short maturation on fine lees. Screwed plug. Ripe cherries, raspberries, rose petals, full and complex mouthfeel.
It is produced from the Greek variety Xinomavro, a charismatic but demanding variety of Macedonia that is ideally acclimatized to the microclimate of Epanomi.
After pressing, the must is left with the grapes for a few hours at a low temperature and then vinification takes place in stainless steel refrigerated tanks at 18 °C. The wine remains with its lees for a few months, gaining structure and body.
It has a pale pink-salmon colour and an intense aromatic character with aromas of citrus (pink grapefruit), forest fruits, cherry and strawberry. In the mouth it is rich, with very good acidity and balance, but also an intensely aromatic aftertaste (cherry-cherry).
Pale pink with citrus aromas, notes of rose and jasmine.
Vinification
Dehydration and pre-fermentation maceration at 8°C for about 48 hours. Alcoholic fermentation at low temperatures in the presence of part of the grape marc. This is followed by separation of the solid and liquid phases while the fermentation proceeds. All other processes follow the stages of white vinification.
Tasting characteristics - Ageing
Pale pink colour with citrus aromas, notes of rose and jasmine. Rich mouthfeel, balanced acidity, long aftertaste. Ideally consumed in the first 12-15 months.
Ideal combination with food
Chinese & Thai cuisine, mushroom risotto.
Created from the combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Agiorgitiko varieties. A classic red vinification with maceration is followed, which continues after the end of alcoholic fermentation. After malolactic fermentation, it is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. Its colour is deep purple to reddish-black. It is served at 18oC and has a long ageing potential.
Vinification
The perfect ripening of the grapes and the carefully selected date of harvest, which is practicated during the night, contribute to the preservation of varietal aromas and natural acidity. Destemming and light-crushing is followed by skin-contact at low temperature, longtime pressing and controlled fermentation of the juice at 18 0C in inox tanks. A three months period staying on lees gives certain roundness to this wine.
Specific characteristics
Light yellow - green colour. Complex nose beginning with intense fruity aromas of exotic fruits and continuing with compounding hints of citron and peach. Well balanced and richly flavored in mouth with pleasing freshness. Clean and fruity aftertaste finishing with the characteristic crispness of Assyrtiko.
Serving tips
Serve at 9-11oC, to bring out all the richness of aroma and freshness of flavour. Serve with: seafood and shellfish dishes, pasta with white sauces, white meats and salads.
To understand Armakas one needs first to understand the mind of Christos Aivalis and his willingness to create something unsurpassable. And in many ways he has already succeeded. Armakas, a blend of Syrah, Agiorgitiko, Merlot, and Malbec does not obey numbers. It defines them. If 40 months in barrel, high alcohol, concentrated Amarone doesn't scare you, then Armakas is a one-way street. A wine whose every sip lasts a few minutes and the conversation around it a few hours. Ultimately a mammoth wine.
The Troupis family’s low yield cultivation of their privately-owned vineyards along with modern methods of white wine-making highlight the full potential of the Moschofilero variety in the wine Tomi Mantinia.
The wine’s bright yellow color with pink tinges indicate an aromatic complexity combining the aromas of white peach, citron and quince which are followed by a slightly acid yet full flavor and after- taste of bergamot and jasmine.
