| Aug 1,
2002 |
Gerovassiliou
and Tsaktsarlis' Biblia Chora wines now in market
It has been no secret that two of Greece's most respected winemakers have been
in the process of building an estate winery at Kokkinohori near Kavala, Makedonia.
The partnership of Evangelos Gerovassiliou (whom in the past we dubbed "a grandfather
of the new Greek wine industry") and Vassilis Tsaktsarlis (formerly oenologist
of the market-bridging Kostas Lazaridis winery) brings two of the industry's most
formidable minds to bear on what has proven to be one of Greece's most favorable
grape growing microclimates. Although the winery has yet to be fully completed, the
results are already turning heads.
The duo currently has three wines in production, all from young vines dedicated to
the estate; one white (60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Asyrtiko), one original and very
serious rosé (Syrah) and a red made from Merlot and Cabernet. The white won
a gold medal earlier this year at the Citadelles du Vin in Bordeaux and the rosé
a gold at the Challenge International du Vin in Blaye-Bourg. The red remains in barrel.
The choice of location was easy, according to Tsaktsarlis. "When I worked at
Lazaridis I couldn't help but notice the difference in quality between the grapes
we sourced in Drama and those we sourced near Kavala. The growing season in Kavala
is longer by almost half a month."
The partnership is more than just business–the pair were born a generation apart
in Epanomi, just south of Thessaloniki, both are graduates of the University of Bordeaux
and began a deep friendship when the young Tsaktsarlis first cut his teeth in Greece
during Gerovassiliou's reign at Chateau Porto Carras at Halkidiki.
Sotiris Bafitis of Vina Mediterranean has bragging rights on U.S. importation. The
first pallets can be expected to arrive in the U.S. in the autumn. Stay tuned for
an in-depth profile soon in our Winemakers section. |
