There are oceans of bland Savatiano even poor ones Self styled Greek wine cognoscenti turn up their noses to the potential of this misunderstood grape In fact the most widely planted cultivar in Greece Perfectly adapted to the arid and hotter regions it is found in Not all wines are born equal Experience has shown that in any given vineyard I have ever visited there are always exceptions My most recent experience with Sylvain Fadats old vine unfiltered Carignane As they in Corfiot dialect nobile paesante
Third generation farmer and winemaker Vassilis Papagiannakos has much to be proud of His energy efficient winery and a first in Greece could not have been better timed Made of stone steel and ultra violet protective glass with an ingenious proactive management of natural wind flow and venetian blinds are some of its several features that help reduce energy costs
To my knowledge one of the most dedicated consulting oenologists whose mission is to showcase indigenous grape varieties is Yiorgos Anagnostopoulos He does have a wider grasp than most of his fellow professionals on scores of lesser known grapes like the Ionian island specialty Vardea for example Proof The dramatic turnaround in the handful of wineries he consults to I have been tracking for years his endeavours in other far flung island vineyards such as Cephalonia and ParosIt is an impressive record
There is no shortage of old vines in Attica Further to his own vineyards Vassilis does know his way around the best farmed sites With the current climate change he sources 80 dry farmed 40 yearold vines The balance is from drip irrigated younger 25 year old vineyards These two non egocentric characters are refreshingly open minded This healthy attitude brings good team work All this does contributes to this eye popping wine as one of the finest of class Retailing at Euro 6 per bottle it is a strong candidate in vying for top spot recession proof dry white on the market Next time you entertain serve this wine in a carafe I did over Xmass to friends who were waxing lyrical for this unoaked Greek chardonnay
Attractive greenpale yellow crystalline colour A light but insistent nose with textbook seve Mouth filling richness initial depth moving onto a gently skin derived tannic presence Balanced if quirky flavoured crisp finish Personality with a strong sence of place
Lastly a favour Not a word to thecognoscenti
Wine: Savatiano Papagiannakos
Year: 2008
Link: http://www.papagiannakos.gr/
Score: 16.5
Type: White
Variety: Savatiano
Area: Central Greece