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Kechris
Thessaloniki's Kechris family has carved a smart niche itself in Makedonia's dynamic wine environment. Stelios Kechris, his wife Dina and daughters Eleni, Maria and Zoe have married a family winemaking tradition with a pragmatic approach to product development. The result is a foundation from which Stelios has every reason to believe his children will "do something wonderful." The family tradition began in the early 1900's when Stelios' grandfather, Evangelos first purchased bottles from America in which to bottle his wine. In the 1930s the family opened a taverna in Thessaloniki, Greece's historic and charming second city. Must was carted from Santorini and Evia to produce wines for their restaurant clientele and for bottling. 1954 marked the official founding of a wine and spirits firm under the name of Kechris Brothers. Thirty years passed before Stelios inherited the family business and incorporated it under its current name, S. Kechris and Company. Kechris sources grapes from a number of vineyards in Makedonia. Red varieties in his portfolio include Xynomavro and Negoska from Goumenissa, Cinsault (a French transplant known in Greece as Senzo) and Cabernet Sauvignon from the slopes of Mount Pagaio just outside Kavala. White offerings include wines made from Roditis, Zoumiatis, Savatiano and the increasingly ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc. As the company's wines become more modern and international, care has been taken to abandon neither his region's varietal resources nor Greece's unique traditions. The Kechris Xynomavro shows an atypical concentration of fruit that contrasts with the more nervous and rustic character of Naousa versions. While some of this contrast may result from clonal variation and differences in elevation and microclimate between Goumenissa and Naousa, the Kechris Xynomavro remains one of the most accessible examples of wine made from any of the variety's clones from any location and is therefore a fitting ambassador to the uneducated Western palate. Kechris is an unabashed believer in retsina. "Retsina is not associated with quality, but it is an important tradition and exclusive to Greece. In the future, if it is treated by producers as though it were a quality product, it could be received more graciously in foreign markets." To that end he created Kechribari, a relatively low yield, lightly resinated wine from Roditis and Savatiano. This retsina's depth of fruit has earned it a solid place among the small list of boutique-style retsinas from serious producers that have won favor among Greece's increasingly wine savvy consumers in recent years. Kechris, though aware of the need to focus his product development on exports, has wider objectives. "Right now," he says, "I am not worried about the money we spend on developing new wines. My goal is not just to sell wines abroad. My real pleasure comes from the fact that we put something of our selves and our souls into the wines. Winemaking contains the cycles of life." For Kechris, life's dominant cycle appears to the transition of ownership from one generation to the next. "We will provide our children with a base knowing they have the talent do something wonderful with it. The children of winemakers don't leave, they continue the tradition." Between his three daughters all bases seem covered. Eleni, who finished her chemical engineering studies in Thessaloniki, is currently studying oenology in Bordeaux. Maria is a graphic artist and already manages label design and the other corporate identity needs of the company. Her sister, Zoe, is pursuing a degree in business management. Wife Dina can be found presiding cheerfully over the winery's office as well as family matters. The next generation appears good to go. Kechris wines: Kechribari retsina (N/V) This retsina is a blend of Roditis and Savatiano and wears Roditis' round fruit on its sleeve. The combination of toffee aromas and smoky finish suggest oak more than resin, an interesting feature that gives Kechribari a style of its own. A unique, pear-shaped bottle adds to the allure of this wine which, at annual production of about 300,000 bottles, clearly is the engine that drives innovation in the other Kechris wines. Proteios white 2002 Light in color with green tints, this Roditis-based wine has a quiet, but complex, nose of melon and pear. Its spicy, fruity palate is very appealing and framed at the finish by good acidity and a slight bitter nut aftertaste. Syllogi white 2002 This stainless steel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc has a pale gold color, and light nose of green fruit. Dry and austere, but with ample body, it is one of few Greek wines made from the variety that is more firmly conceived in a European than in a New World style. A very well balanced summer wine, its varietal component is revealed only sparingly in the form of grapefruit during its long, graceful finish. Xynomavro 2001 This Xynomavro is blended with a small quantity of Negoska. Deep red with orange tints it has a pleasantly complex nose of dried fruit and plums. Medium-bodied, it has a soft, warm, rustic palate of dried cherry and prune and soft stem tannins. Oak, though kept largely at bay through the use of older barrels, comes through at the finish accompanying a mild raisiny aftertaste. Cabernet 2001 This medium to light-bodied Cabernet from 12 year-old vines has a darkish ruby color, aromas of paint and ripe, red fruit. Its middle, though lacking a little fruit, still shows good overall concentration. A finish that shows clearly the full year the wine has spent in oak is aided by spicy tobacco notes. |
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Kechribari