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Arhanes Cooperative
In the late 1970s the decision was made to begin bottling wines. A special bottling of Arhanes appellation red (Kotsifali and Mandilaria) in 1978 predated by two vintages the official entrance into the bottled wine market. The 1978, rare and nearly impossible to find now, is the best Greek wine I have ever tasted. After just a few short years, disaster struck. Phylloxera attacked Crete beginning in 1984. By the end of 1985 it had invaded in earnest. With some notable exceptions, it set winemaking in the region back a decade or more: Kotsifali, the most noble of Crete's red grapes produces meager quality in young vines. The region, and most notably the Arhanes Cooperative, has been struggling to regain its strength ever since. Other local grapes have had faster recoveries, but the loss of old vine Kotsifali, the defining grape for the region, is still painfully felt. Replanting of the members' Kotsifali was finally completed in 1995, but the relative youth of the vines is having a clear effect on the cooperative's red wines. Now difficult decisions must be made each year based on vine age, vinification methods and vineyard selection. Phylloxera has another unpleasant consequence for this producer: Kotsifali, more than any other Greek variety, benefits from bottle age. In both its youth and in old age, Kotsifali resembles certain Spanish and Portuguese varieties in flavor and in color. Its characteristic complex, sometimes plummy fruit, leathery mouth feel and orange tints develop beautifully in time, but in their youth are not exactly in fashion in the New World. This means that the important achievement of 1978, even if duplicated in the vineyards and winery, will not be achieved in bottle until some time later. In the opinion of some Greeks, the need to compromise for economic reasons, though temporary, means that Arhanes has become a producer to watch, rather than a serious bottled wine competitor. Each year, however, the wines show improvement. Likely, it won't be long before better fruit and discipline achieved during the management of this crisis bring the cooperative back into the competitive fold. A still-strong negociant market and some variety diversity have helped Arhanes weather the storm. A move towards lower yields, difficult and fraught with risk for growers with families to feed, is the single solution that would change the cooperative's status in the short term. The wines: Armanti white 1999 A blend of Vilana and Muscat, this wine has a curious profile. It had more acidity and less residual sugar than we had expected. It had dark aromas for a wine containing Muscat, we thought; banana leaf and orchid. unctuous mouth-feel and herb-infused fruit, light flavor and full body. Vin de Presse 1999 Though softer than the Armanti with less acidity, this wine benefits from some added vin de press. It has aromas of banana and green hints on its edges, not to be confused with apple. A light, complex and tropical style. Arhanes 1999 Despite a deficit of middle fruit (characteristic, to some extent, of the variety) this is a friendly version of a Kotsifali/Mandilaria blend. It has a smoky nose, orange hue and barely perceptible tannins. Acidity is not substantial, but doesn't overwhelm either. More middle fruit, expected as vine age increases, will fill in the slight void on the middle palate. We will be following the progress of the cooperative yearly and provide updates. |
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Arhanes