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Vaeni Naousa
Vaeni is headed by Niki Katacharia, a savvy manager on the elite list of Greece's leading female vintners. Her market awareness is reflected in the cooperative's focus on quality control and product development. Accessible, exportable styles have emerged as the signature of her efforts. Bucking local traditions, modern approaches to vinification are used to tame Xynomavro in the cooperative's reds. Vaeni, far from being solely a trading post for its members, has made a concerted effort to provide educational support designed to improve vineyard practices. According to our guide, oenologist Dimitris Maniatis, improved farming the result of this close partnership has played the single most significant role in the cooperative's achievement of quality. In the past, "all Xynomavro" has been the cooperative's mantra. This means that all of the white wines have been blancs de noir and has led to the development of truly unique white wines. In fact the cooperative has seemingly eked out the maximum variation in style and type from this one variety. Plantings of Syrah and Merlot have recently been encouraged. The cooperative has already released its first Syrah. Merlot is still in the test-planting stage. The wines: Imeros 1999 A barely perceptible gris, this wine was just slightly off-dry. Softer than we had expected, it displayed little of the acidity we have come to expect in classically vinified Xynomavro (though that acidity is probably pronounced in comparison to other reds anyway). The subtle but enduring effects of a small amount of residual sugar brought to mind German Kabinett. Intense, but complex mouth feel leads to a drier finish. Dogmatikos 2000 Special yeast and enzymes encourage a long, cool fermentation that really allows this wine to develop flavor as the effects of Xynomavro's significant tannins lessen. This table wine is a pristine, pale yellow, like white gold. Nectarine on the nose becomes ripe peach on the palate. For all its intense fruitiness, it resolves to a soft, lingering finish. Best appreciated at lower temperatures. Dogmatikos 1999 Pale copper in color, it offers cantaloupe and honey on the nose. It is very well balanced, with even acidity and a fine, mineral feel. It is modern, fruit-driven wine, well structured and firmed a little by pleasant residual tannin. The long fermentation, according to Maniatis, is key, but if the fermentation becomes stuck, all is lost. This one passed the test with flying colors–the best of the Vaeni whites. Salammbo Rosé NV This very modern rosé has a light hue, flavors of tamarind and persimmons and black olive. Harmonious and a tad sweet, it has both body and California-like fruitiness. Imeros red NV This non-vintage, stainless steel fermented Xynomavro provides a great argument against the use of oak in vinifying this grape. It has slight amber tints. Fruitiness combines with much dry extract to create at once ripe and velvety mouth feel. It is a unique Xynomavro and an impressive table wine. Naousa 1998 Typical in many ways of appellation Naousa, a year plus in oak has left its mark in a couple of ways. Firstly, the color leans towards the orange. Secondly, the raw aspect of the grape is accentuated by oak flavors already competing with a deficit of fruit. Having said that, it has a sophisticated mouth feel brought on, in part, by good tannin structure. It is classic Naousa OPAP, a distinctly Greek drink. Naousa Reserve 1990 This is a wine that begs the question which standard to use in its evaluation. Employing the Western standard, perhaps too much fruit has been lost during its barrel and bottle aging. It's considerable tannin and acidity make it a bold wine, though, and it's leathery mouth feel and Rioja color enrich the experience of drinking it. By Greek standards, it seems to us, it is classic Naousa, though not an exciting version. Naousa Grand Reserve 1994 With Grand Reserve Naousa, the Greek standard is the only really applicable one. 1994 produced great wine for aging and Vaeni's is no exception. It has concentrated terra cotta color, an herbaceous nose, mature, dark, acidic fruit, bold tannins and new leather throughout. One of the few Naousa's we've tasted that has survived more than two years in barrel and lived to tell a happy tale. Damaskinos 1997 This wine spends one year in old oak followed by several more months in new. It is an enticing approach. Its color is concentrated, occupying the middle ground between tawny and ruby. The old oak has done its important work, the new has added pleasant vanilla on the nose. Some black cherry on the palate is seasoned with edgy, but bearable tannins. It is a bold concept; rough hewn, but sophisticated. Syrah 2000 This wine is very promising at first sight. Its color is superbly inky red. Young vines, however, mean this extraction is not yet present in its flavors. A strong, peppery bite at the finish begs for more fruit to justify its intrinsic machismo. It bodes well for the time when vine age will no longer be an issue. |
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