Tasted June 2008

A few years ago, Stephen Spurrier compared Evangelos Gerovassilliou to the legendary Rhone winemaker Marcel Guigal in terms of his contribution towards the wine region of Macedonia. As well as reviving traditional Greek varieties such as Malagousia he has been a pioneer of growing international grapes in the area, and his wines are at the very top of the tree in terms of quality.
Macedonia's altitude and mountainous terrain make it cooler, and thus better for winemaking than much of the rest of greece, but many vines are still grown on north rather than south-facing slope. Viognier doesn't pose quite as many problems as it loves warmer, mediterranean conditions, and this fantastic wine is a sign of the grape's potential in the region

Grape: 100% Viognier

Region: Epanomi, Macedonia

Soil Type: Sandy with clay subsoil and marine fossils

Winemaking: Cool fermentation and 5 months lees ageing before 4.5 months in French, medium toast oak (mixed new and old)

ABV: 13% ABV

Tasting Note
I don't think I've ever tasted a Viognier with such purity of fresh tropical fruit, and it does have the whole shebang - mango, pineapple and especially apricot on the palate, balanced by floral perfumes and a cracking acidity. The wine is oily and quite full in the mouth, with the oak adding texture and undertones rather than dominating, backed nicely by a firm mineral note. It's got some staying power too, with pineapple flavours and hints of toffee remaining in the mouth long after the bottle has been banished to the recycling bin!

Cellaring
This certainly has potential to develop. Although I've written a long and passionate note, I think the wine is still a little closed, and could keep at least 5 years

If you like this why not try.... Our very own Domaine Astruc Viognier is similar in terms of body, but if budget is not a problem, try Andre Perret's stunning Condrieu, which like this has plenty of cellaring potential.