Thanassis Parparoussis is an emblematic figure of the boutique winery movement that burst on the scene in the late 1980s His generation helped change the face of Greek wine His manner and profound interest in a broad spectrum of subjects carry the hallmark of a gentleman One can spend hours listening to him On a recent visit I found him rejuvenated Much of this newfound momentum has to do with daughters Erifili and Dimitra now actively part of the new team ushering in new ideas and directions
Parparoussis followed his own heart with offthebeatentrack choices When his colleagues were betting their future on Frenchorigin cosmopolitan grapes he went even deeper into allGreek grapes Roditis Nemea Agiorgitiko Mavrodaphne and Muscat for dessert wines Then came Sideritis on the fringe a misunderstood minor player A lateripening grape aka himoniatiko of the winter it is mostly found hanging from pergolas over hundreds of courtyards up and down Greece It adds colour into late autumnwinter picking up pink hues as it slowly matures It is named after sidero iron due to its high acidity and minerality Parparoussis has marketed Ta Dora tou Dionysou label a refreshingly loweralcohol highacid touchofspice bonedry white Tagging it as the Greek vineyards answer to Gros Plant would be too simplistic It is fatter and then there is that turn of the pepper mill I had first seen the grapes of this wine in old bush vines at Parparoussiss home vineyard at Bozaitika now a suburb of Patras While there I had a chance to visit his other vineyard in Movri on the western coast of Achaia overlooking Cephalonia the largest of the Ionian islands In the shadow of a large eucalyptus forest he farms Assyrtiko Athiri Sideritis and Mavrodaphne Soil is alluvial sandy littered with all sorts of stones Parparoussis picked up a conical stone with an inner darker circle That is manganese The two As Assyrtiko and Athiri and the darkskinned Mavrodaphne had been harvested As we approached the lateripening Sideritis I was pleasantly surprised They were flameorangered and smallberried In fact they looked like nothing I had ever seen before I shot a video interview and gleaned insights on clonal selection and cultivating Sideritis on trellised vines
In addition to the abovementioned dry white Parparoussis also distils Sideritis wine and then ages it for 12 years in Limousin oak casks The name of this spirit stands for Aged Wine Distillate Now why on earth such a uniquely identifiable handcrafted spirit is not better known is beyond me Even dressedup in its elegant new packaging care of Erifili and Dimitra it has not yet met with the success it deserves I urge all sommeliers and mixologists to check it out If you appreciate its oneofakind character spread the news
Mediumdark amber Clear Vinous Floral allspice Gentle oak accents Middle palate is round almonds alternating with vanillin Balanced and persistent richly flavoured smoky finish Intense Outstanding Read the empty glass there is a lot in there
Wine: Parparoussis Apostagma Oinou Paleothen 40% ABV
Year: -
Link: http://www.parparoussis.gr
Score: 18.5
Type: Distillates
Variety: Sideritis
Area: Peloponnese