One of the more amusing fashion trends is that of Santorinis Mavrotragano A series of hapless circumstances fuelled by human foibles and tiny acreage have lifted the price close to 4 Euroskg
Excellar price 14 Euros In Greece a bottle retails for 27 Euros What is it like Mediumdark colour feral with spicy notes What it does lack especially for the going price is body
It all started gathering momentum when ten years ago the Slow Food movement in Italy listed it as a rare heritage grape under threat of extinction Several new to Greek wine freelance journalists latched on to this lead and went off to find the holy grail amongst 409 winebearing vines Well I have seen the future and it is not Mavrotragano To insiders this hype bordered on farce Alarmingly it lasted quite a while There is light at the end of the tunnel as I sense it has used 12 of its 15minute glory This pressure is about to deflate further as a serious alternative has made its lowkey presence
Ioanna Vamvakouri oenologist and managing partner at the relaunched historic Venetsanos winery has insight on this morbid moment of glory of the black crunchy grape aka mavrotragano While at Boutari I researched Mavrotragano and Mandilaria for eight years I gave up on Mavrotragano as it did not thrill me The dynamics of Mandilaria were far more interesting One of her littleknown swan songs while at Boutari was the energetic foodfriendly Mandilari ros named Kouloures It was more than an eyeopener For a modest price it brilliantly captured Santorini freakish volcanic landscape in a glass Though it sold out it went unnoticed Back to the reviewed Mandilaria the last two harvest prices are a steady 050 Euros The reviewed wine bottle retails for 14 Euros Acreage is small though far more substantial than the other M where a sniffing dog is needed to locate a vine here and a vine there
Wine ultimately exists for our pleasure it comes down to our preferences in profile style So if you like highacid tannic red wines that through time have become one with the luminous SouthernAegean archipelago then this shift in focus is worth following This counterpoint may help push back a fashion folly towards the classics Fashion comes and goes No guesses what has staying power
From the estates prized high Pyrgos single vineyard at Ai Giorgis Harvested ten days later than other addresses Deep ruby Viscous Round Devoid of any hint of green notes and angular tannins Only Xinomavro can scale such natural high acidity 71grL in tartaric masking its 15 abv Textbook vinosity Refreshing despite statuesque proportions Not for everyone with its chewy chunky style Partners proteinrich plates The most interesting new redwine effort from a great whitewine terroir Best 20152020
Wine: Venetsanos Mandilaria PGI Cyclades
Year: 2014
Link: http://www.venetsanoswinery.com
Score: 16.5
Type: Red
Variety: Mandilaria
Area: Aegean Islands