If we get the opportunity to taste Greek wines, we never hesitate. Neither should you. Recently, we enjoyed tasting wines from Domaine Agrovision. This is a 25-hectare estate in Lerissos, located just at the beginning of the third “finger” of the beautiful peninsula Halkidiki in Macedonia in northern Greece. The vineyards are situated between four and ten kilometres from the sea, opposite the island of Ammouliani. There is a view of Mount Athos further down the finger. We have not visited Agrovision, but we have been to Halkidiki and know that this is an immensely beautiful region.
“We aim at producing high-quality wines,” says the estate’s director Angelos Zamanis. The yields are kept very low. The climate is dry, but Angelos wants as little irrigation as possible, sometimes none at all. In 2019, he made 15,000 bottles. We tasted a white and red wine in the series “20”. There is a red, rosé and white “20”, and the grapes for these wines come from vineyards located around the winery. “20 is the degree of excellence”, says Angelos, “and at the same time, 20 in French is pronounced in the same way that wine, so it becomes a polite pun for the market there.”
The grape varieties are currently French: cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot and syrah. But in the future, Angelos promises to focus more on the local Greek varieties instead. He has already planted two local varieties, the white vidiano and the red limnio. We think it is a splendid idea to broaden the range with the local varieties.
Vidiano is a grape variety that is becoming more and more common in Greece but is still grown on a relatively small scale. The quality potential is excellent. Limnio is probably Greece’s oldest grape variety, already mentioned by Aristotle. It is a robust grape that can withstand hot climates. It is popular with several growers in Halkidiki.
Domaine Agrovision “20” 2019 Sauvignon Blanc
It tastes of tropical fruit and citrus. It is not overly aromatic but well balanced with a pure and fresh character and a good length. I like the texture and mouthfeel. To be enjoyed, Angelos suggests, with seafood, salads and Asian food.
Domaine Agrovision “20” 2016
For the red Domaine Agrovision “20” 2016, Angelo has used cabernet sauvignon and merlot. The wine is full-bodied and dense with lots of dark fruit and tobacco. On top of this, it has a certain elegance. Wouldn’t mind this wine with grilled lamb chops with fresh herbs and olive oil.
