My first trips in search of sweet wines in Siatista were the single greatest disappointment of all my travels Was it a romantics futile quest It did cross my mind Inevitably I would be ushered into the basement of some furriers house to taste wine served in Tsarist Russia and many other all true historical footnotes stretching back 230 years There was a slight issue they smelled of glue The culprit was high volatile acidity It was a nightmare like being imprisoned in a dungeon of vinous hell These small caskfilled dusty cellars frozen in time left me bewildered They contained oldfashioned decaying wines of a once great and famous region Was my curiosity to go unanswered As years went by somehow the odd halfbottle with a handwritten label would end up in my hands The nightmare continues read some of my notes Yet one fights on never giving up I was in subdued mood when entering Dimitris Diamantis tasting room All very tidy clean smelling Nice glasses Enclosed wood fireplace No showoff gadgets It was a toogoodtobetrue feeling all over again As he poured the mind focused on the lovely colour and gently evolving aroma One sip and a whole new world lit up Persistence was finally rewarded This was going to be an interesting visit Another flag to pin on the 132000 square km that my beat spans I cannot convey what a pleasant surprise this recent venture had in store Next time you drive by en route to Kastoria Metsovo or Igoumenitsa you may want to give this forgotten wine town of 5000 souls a second thought The best was yet to come from this visit When I returned home there was a lesson to be learned While entertaining my guests showed little interest in dessert Though most of my friends swear I do not do sugar they were passing around the reviewed wine with admirable teamwork efficiency With a wry smile I now know that proof is not always in the pudding
Bottled in 2013 Blend of 75 Moschomavro 15 Xinomavro Magoutes vineyard Planted in 1931 Altitude 845 m 860 m Grapes are aircured on racks not unlike the appassimento method of Amarone Pale amber ruby Rose water quincejelly aroma Walnut balsam No perceptible volatile acidity Residual sugars nudging 100 grL Tension from Xinomavro Texture of lesssweet acacia honey Great poise and precision Lipsmacking good Digest Cerebral A great vintage which is not often the case in this thin sliver of hillside vines Showcasing coolerclimate Greece a fascinating terroir with proper cellar management Best 20152025
Wine: Diamantis Siatista Liastos
Year: 2008
Link: http://www.diamantiswines.com
Score: 18
Type: Sweet
Variety: Moschomavro, Xinomavro
Area: Macedonia