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Keimis Chrisohóou
Chrisohóou immediately set out to differentiate himself from the pack of other producers in the area, aware partly of the difficulty of competing with other producers of Xynómavro and partly of limitations the mainly red wine tradition of the region imposed on a portfolio. Náousa had become bulk wine territory, home to large producers and growers intent on meeting the volume needs of companies supplying products from one of Greece's most popular appellations. His focus, he decided, would be on quality. While his Xynómavro was produced mostly along traditional lines, conforming to appellation laws requiring a year in oak for OPAP Náousa and additional aging for the Káva designation, he was—like some other Náousa producers—beginning to wonder whether the appellation laws truly provided the best guidelines for vinification. The market for these wines, however, remained strong. While doing everything he could to insure the quality of his reds within these guidelines, he sought white varieties that would strengthen his portfolio. With large companies dominating the landscape, diversification would be his key to survival. The effort began with the search for suitable white varieties. Ultimately, Chrisohóou decided on the rare, speckled Priknádi, a local cultivar of rich aroma and pale color that displays Náousa terroir in a most favorable light. His entire contingent of this grape is descended from just three vines that grew wild on the property when he first purchased it. While the drive to produce superior reds continued, white wines became an important calling card for the winemaker. At the top of this card was Prekniáriko, the wine made from Priknádi, and Petrítis, a blend of Chardonnay, Ugni blanc and Sauvignon blanc. With his wife Betty involved at every stage, Keimis attacked every obstacle carefully and pragmatically. His experience in the trade was put to good use: smart label design and effective distribution allowed him to continue to finance improvements throughout the 1990s, even as he struggled against larger companies for a place in the market. Impatient with the pace of improvement in quality, Chrisohóou made a decision that would propel his wines upward in quality almost overnight. Hiring one's brother-in-law as an oenologist, for most winemakers, would probably be a last resort. Betty's brother, Nikos Bérsos, had spent nearly a decade working in Germany dealing with many of the same issues at the forefront of concern at Ktima Chrisohóou. Four years ago, he came on board as oenologist. A winning team was formed.
A new portfolio immediately reflected a dual approach. On the one hand, they gave appellation Xynómavro beneficial technical treatment (within legal parameters) that would increase its appeal beyond provincial markets. On the other hand, they explored Xynómavro's potential in combination with other varieties, hoping to develop new products that would have the benefit of stylistic familiarity outside of Greece. The plan has worked. The new products enable the team to focus on style and quality without restrictions. The traditional appellation reds have benefited by new methods and technologies. The vins de pays show the blending class of Xynómavro. Examples of style-based strategies abound in Chrisohóou's winemaking. On one extreme is Petrítis red, a semidry blend of Xynómavro and Merlot. Fermented in steel and then aged for a year in steel, it is a fruity revolt against the forced marriage of Xynómavro and oak, and a tip of the hat to the fresh wines of Greece, especially the rosés, whose best qualities rarely survive bottling. The Lefkítis red is the chief New World representative, undergoing carbonic maceration, vinification and maturation exclusively in steel. It is good young wine, perfect with Greek food, and not intended for bottle aging. The more traditional reds are less provincial than previous versions. The Náousa OPAP (100% Xynómavro) gets one year in barrel, 6 months in bottle and benefits greatly by controlled malolactic fermentation. It does not have the strongest finish of his reds, but the combination of vanilla and delicate mint aromas evidence no sacrifice of complexity in the pursuit of drinkability. The flagship wine of the new approach is the Estate Chrisohóou (100% Xynómavro), which features select grapes, spends a year and a half in barrel and two years prerelease in bottle. It shows softness from malolactic rare among the wines of Náousa. Káva Chrisohóou, a wine of which Chrisohóou and Bérsos are both justifiably proud, exemplifies their new philosophy. A marriage of Xynómavro and Merlot, aged for one and a half years in barrel and two years in bottle, it is rich, smoky on the palate and very well balanced. Both Chrisohóou and Bérsos subscribe to the characterization of the acidic Xynómavro as a skeleton to which Merlot adds softness and fruit. It is a fitting a combination, not unlike the winemaker and his oenologist. The Prekniáriko, full-bodied and now closing in on 14% alcohol, has shown a startling improvement, likely reflecting the experience of Bérsos with German vineyard management and vinification. Years ago, the best quality of this wine was its mineral component. Now, there is nothing holding back the fruit. Although it has some tartness, it is creamier now, with cantaloupe on the nose and greater complexity. Sometimes too much subtlety invites comparisons between indigenous Greek cultivars and foreign varieties, in which the foreign standard necessarily favors the foreign grape. This wine demands that the character of the grape be evaluated in its own right, to the benefit of the wine and to the credit of the winemakers.
Not all attention at the estate is focused on the wines. As the Wine Roads of Makedonía program increases traffic to the wineries of the region, many producers are intent on providing more compelling destinations. The Chrisohóou's are no exception. A new addition and renovations to the preexisting facilities have created an attractive visitor center with a tasting room and museum. Eventually a restaurant may be added. Already the winery is in demand for weddings and other functions. A new generation is already hard at work in the operation. Daughter Katerína and son Ioánnis are already employed at the winery. A second daughter, Déspina, is studying oenology in Italy. We can guess where she is headed. |
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Karafáki white
Petrítis rosé
Karafáki red
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