With the following post
I'd like to approach the versatile cosmos of autochthonous Greek
grape varieties. Like in my previous hyper-auto' “Happening Now Tasting”
posts I need to limit myself to just one "pure" varietal. Unfortunately! This time I
found it really difficult to choose One from such a rich "national" bounty.
Well, anyway … my selection fell on a varietal with rich body,
transfixing creamy taste, a diva-like attitude (in the vineyard - mostly), robust juiciness and
of course as originally intended minuscule quantities. A varietal often considered as
Greece’s version of Viogner. Its name? Vidiano!? Ohh yeeaass, I admit it!
Prior to my challenging choice I have not even heard of it (either) …!
Vidiano is grown in small scale (apparently just about 70 hectares)
on the island of Crete. Especially around the area of Rethymnon and
Heraklion. My Vidiano from 2013 derives from rocky, calciferous as well as
sloping highland grounds in the area of the Messara Plain south of
Heraklion. It's producer? The locally well known and impressively established (check the website) Domaine
Zacharioudakis. The grapes for this Vidiano where organically cultivated and underwent an apparently unusual
– at least for wines from Vidiano – five months ageing in French oak
barrels. Let's check it out ...
5:05
pm (popped and poured and probably a bit too chilly)
Colour:
very lush and radiant dark yellow colour with swarming particles; for
its high alc with 14,5% a rather wildly jigging viscosity
Nose:
rich, lush, tons of fresh well ripe apricots as well as other fruit
basket connotations, plenty of well fit smoke, some honeydew and shy
caramel; kinda reminds me of a few Austrian orange wines I have
tasted recently; there is also very mildly ethereal touch to this
one, so far very fitting, I am curious how this impression will
evolve; until now a pretty bold, very convincing and illustrious
noso'rama
Taste:
not as baroque as I've expected it to be, relativly lean body within
its actual lushness, plenty of fruit flavours (a bit less exuberant
than the nose; or even a bit stern), very distinct smoke and even
more distinct and pretty incomparable herbal spiciness; I am under
the impression to taste some calcerous seriosity, not as transfixing
creamy as I've expected either; here the alc appears to be a bit more
present, but still manageable
6:33
pm
Nose:
in addition to the persisting fragrances there are hints of the
actual oak ageing, reserved vanilla combined with strenghening herbal
nuances, the fruit is n't as juicy as before but still very
remarkable
Taste:
very much the same, perhaps a bit more bitter'ish austere appearing
character, now it showes a stronger alc punch and really dense look
of my suggested “calcerous seriosity”
9:10
pm
Nose:
besides those mentioned apricots I am getting more and more scents of
tart lemons or even bergamot, now the nose seem a bit less exuberant
and vital; overall more resting in itself … I guess
Taste:
steady behaviour on my tongue; even the fruit flavours remain very
present and vital (however still in an austere fashion and definitely
not as expressive as the nasal ones), some creaminess seems to evolve
as well, even the alcohol is integrating bit by bit
6:12
pm (the day after)
Nose:
more balanced, more subtle – especially the smoke, fine and
discreet creaminess, aromas are mostly the same, only a minor
ethereal touch left
Taste:
even a bit more refined than yesterday, the alc touch is still
in existence – and still mostly manageabel, still far off being too
big – still kinda crisp, the fruit flavours got a stronger tendency
towards more tart'sh aromas of lemons and oranges - slightly candied, even its finish improved a bit
Really
suprising stuff packed with plenty of distinct
character
for a "ridiculously"
low price.
A little bit less alcohol and I'd be really stunned by its quality. I
am not sure what to think about this mentioned comparison with
Viognier. Most Viogniers I had have been far more rich, beefy,
perhaps more complex, even more alcoholic and by far less “graceful”.
Anyway, for me this Vidiano from Domaine Zacharioudakis was (and
still is, lucky me) a downright very
decent *****
new experience.
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