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Nostos (Manousakis)
Eventually, he set his sights on renovating and expanding his family's home in the village of Vatolakos, southwest of Hania in the shadows of western Crete's Lefka Ori (White Mountain). Soon thereafter, he developed a hotel on the coast at Gerani, just north of the village, the world-class Creta Paradise Beach Resort. Finally, eight years ago, on the semi-mountainous hillsides above the village, he began planting vineyards. Intent on utilizing western Crete's reliable microclimate to produce superior wines in a subregion whose varietal traditions made it, until now, one of Greece's least respected, Manousakis made the bold decision to utilize only Rhone cultivars in his vineyards. This decision was not in itself groundbreaking. Syrah has become something of a pet strain for growers from Crete in search of foreign cultivars to marry with the island's hot climate (and local varieties). Grenache also has an increasing presence in Greece. Although Crete's heat is more extreme than that of the Rhone Valley, the substantial elevation of much Crete's vine area is often seen as an equalizing factor. Even so, 1999 brought the vineyard three days of heat measured at 45°C. Manousakis' decision is nevertheless striking in its exclusive adherence to Rhone varieties. The decision was carefully considered. He enlisted an international crew of consultants as notable for their enthusiasm for the project as for their professional credentials. Frenchman Cyrill Bongiraud conducted geological evaluations. Internationally-known viticulture consultant Lucie Morton, herself a resident of Virginia—his own back yard, as it were—analyzed the terroir of the region, ultimately deciding the varietal course of action: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Roussanne. One of the world's leading authorities on vine rootstock, Morton made the final decisions concerning which accessions provided the best rootstock for the project. Finally, Manousakis recruited Canadian wunderkind Pascal Marchand to be his consulting oenologist. Marchand is famous in wine circles for his performance as winemaker at Burgundy's Clos des Epeneaux throughout the 1990s and for his current leadership at Boisset's Domaine de la Vougeraie. The task of planting vines on the rough terrain above Vatolakos was (and still remains) daunting. At the outset, even four-wheel-drive vehicles could not negotiate the large rocks that clung to the hillsides. Anyone who has watched Herzog's epic film, Fitzcarraldo, will likely find parallels between the story of a man obsessed with pulling a steamboat over a mountain pass and Manousakis' Herculean saga of establishing vines in an environment where cultivation is resisted by nature at every turn. The problem of creating access roads was overcome through sheer determination and hard labor. The planting of the estate's original three hectares of vines, midway up the mountain, was completed after much difficulty in 1994. The plot was made up of 50% Syrah and 50% Roussanne (the only cultivation of the latter variety in Greece). Planting the vines, however, was no guarantor of wine production. The problem of a water supply for the delicate nurslings, now resting on parched, rocky soil, still remained. So did the problem of erosion should natural forces provide water in excess. A well was dug to supply water and ditches dug to provide runoff in the event of abundant winter rain. In the meantime, Manousakis had put together the team that would manage the vineyards and winemaking. Vineyard management was put in the hands of Babis Kiriakakis, a local orange merchant and a legendary figure on Crete in the resistance against Greece's military junta in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Kiriakakis is an equally cheerful and serious bull of a man who takes obvious pride in both his record of overcoming the substantial obstacles of the past and his determination to succeed in the continuing expansion of the estate's vineyards. His resolve is typically Cretan. With the busy Marchand in the role of consulting oenologist, Manousakis was still in need of a trusted oenologist and winemaker to oversee vineyard management, harvest and vinification on a day to day basis. He was fortunate to find at his disposal Kostis Galanis, a chemist and oenologist who earned his degree at Montpellier University. Galanis, sprightly and earnest, shoulders responsibilities made all the more crucial by the unavoidable absences of the owner, about which he seems matter-of-factly unburdened. If anything, Galanis, our guide and host on the day (and evening) we visited, seems not the least fazed by the extraordinary circumstances in which he practices his profession. Galanis casually weaves the particulars of the Nostos saga like a skilled storyteller. As it happened, the most interesting chapter in this saga was playing out before our eyes. The original vines, now eight years old, have been steadily augmented by new plantings. Substantial expansion underway at the time of our visit sought to bring the total vineyard area to 8.5 hectares. The property currently under development is at considerably greater elevation (550-650 meters) than the original vineyards. New vines have been planted right up to the north-facing crest of the mountain. The area (captured in photos to the right) was hard won. Planting required fifty days, 3 bulldozers and 14 workers. But the battle still wasn't over. A water source, crucial for irrigation of the vines in their nascent stage, was entirely out of reach. Manousakis, undaunted, had planted anyway. Until a sufficiently reliable pipe system could be implemented, a pickup truck equipped with a water tank routinely made the perilous trip up the steep grade. Workers painstakingly dripped water down a rubber hose inserted in the soil next to each root in order to insure the vines' survival. Thousands were planted this year alone. The success of the estate's initial attempts at Roussanne have been so promising that another 2.5-3 hectares of Roussanne vines are scheduled for planting in 2003 at an elevation of about 600 meters. Efforts like these have paid off, if not financially, critically. The first vintage, 1997, a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre, received ample praise from Robert Parker, who found its bouquet "captivating" and "internationanally-styled." Parker also reviewed the 1998, whose blend now included 15% Roussanne, finding a Zinfandel quality in its berry flavors. The early vintages displayed Pascal Marchand's preference for new oak as a means of creating complex aromas. Today, new oak still has its place, but the use of old oak is on the rise. This in part reflects an expanded product line. By 2002 the flagship Nostos red had resolved to a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre with 5% Roussanne. A Syrah made exclusively from the estate's oldest vines, a Grenache and the estate's only white, made, of course, from Roussanne, also now grace Manousakis' portfolio. All of these wines are notable for sturdy alcohol levels of a kind rarely achieved in Greece and for fruit extraction in line with New World standards. Yields are undoubtedly well managed and canopy management, essential to the protection of fruit from the intense Cretan sun, is so effective as to withstand the frequent winds that add to the risk of grape burn.
Nostos Wines: Nostos red 2001 The intense, dark color of this wine is the first sign of its depth. Its aromas display fresh wood, but mostly in the form of butterscotch, and this melded with dark berries. Dark berry flavors are companied by a little bitter cocoa, a distinctly Rhone-like nuance. There is no question as to the full body of this wine. Alcohol is a solid 13.6% and accompanied by pleasant acidity and elegant structure. A slight oaky aftertaste is peppered with light tannin. Syrah 2001 This sophisicated Syrah has few peers in Greece. With sexy, new world qualities, including 14.2% alcohol, it shows an informed approach to barrel age. It is a blend aged for ten months in first-use French, four-year-old French and two-year-old American oak. Its color is inky dark from the middle to the rim. Its aromas are forceful, earthy and tinged with eucalyptus. Its palate is similarly bold, characterized by the kind intensity typical of strong California Zin. This wine is bone-dry, but has a glycol attack supported by acidity and intense berry flavors. Dark berries and tannin mingle during an elegant, long finish. Grenache 2001 At 13.5%, this wine is no wallflower, but a soft, subtle character shines through. This vintage of 75 cases underwent malolactic fermentation during its ten months in barrel. Only 25% of the barrels are new, and 25% are of American oak. It has a deep purple color, and medium nose with vanilla perfume. It features rich black currant and a soft, velvety mouth feel. Well balanced, its finish is long with tart acidity and a hint of cocoa. It will be interesting to see if Manousakis and crew, at some point in the future, will be tempted to experiment with a rosé from this variety. Roussanne 2001 This wine has been a voyage of discovery for winemaker Kostis Galanis. Galanis barely rescued this wine from a sudden destabilization in barrel that risked depriving it of all of its acidity. Although it was not the wine that Galanis and Manousakis had hoped for, it is a propitious start. The oak recipe for this varietal is a 50% mix of new and old barrels. That the acidity that remained is still so pronounced owes much to the 350 meter elevation of the vineyard in which the Roussanne is grown. The wine has a gold color with a notable green rim. The aroma shows equal parts flower and sweet oak. Its fruit is quite round but defined by still sturdy acidity. Green fruit lasts through the finish as an aftertaste. "A suprisingly good wine considering," say Galanis, "but the very quality of the Roussanne has been lost." He vowed this would not happen with the 2002. Much is expected of this groundbreaking wine in coming vintages. |
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