Just back from Cyprus after driving around much of the island (weather wasn't up to much else), and pretty impressed with the wines. The beautiful countryside and refreshingly small-scale vineyards, coupled with the fact that wineries are in general very keen on visits, make it a great place for a wine trip.
I visited
Vouni Panayia and
Ezousa, near each other in the hills above Pafos (VP a good 400 metres higher despite only being a few km away). They were very different,
Vouni Panayia with a somewhat forbiddingly modern and spectacularly sited winery
Home, and
Ezousa Ezousa Winery - Cyprus Wine much smaller, with more of a family atmosphere. I only stopped briefly at VP, but was impressed by both their premium reds, their Barba Yiannis being one of the best Maratheftikos (probably the most interesting of the native reds) I tried (€9), and their (unique?) rediscovered Yiannoudi also a lovely wine (€15). Their Xinisteri-based whites were disappointing, though - go for reds here. Very well priced too, like almost everything on the island.
My visit to Ezousa was arranged with the kind help of Charis, and I spent a very pleasant hour and a half there, exchanging views and opinions about wine and the wine market. It was fascinating to hear about the many issues involved in producing wine in Cyprus. When I arrived they were busy labelling bottles (by hand, of course), and a couple of testers from the Ministry of Agriculture had also turned up at the same time to collect samples for pesticide residue testing, so tasting was delayed for a bit. Eventually we got under way...
Viognier 2016
Bottled only two weeks ago, these vines were planted in 2008. Michalis, the owner, hopes Viognier will find a place in the Cypriot market, and I didn't see anyone else growing it, and it was available in the airport duty-free (btw, the selection here is a fair cut above the generic crap that one normally finds). This was a hot year, but alcohol is low (harvested early August - this seems fairly typical for whites in Cyprus). I don't normally like Viognier but this one avoids the high alcohol/overbearing aroma common to so many. Very well made, with typical apricot nose, silky mouthfeel and nice balance. €16
Xinisteri 2016
I had a lot of Xinisteri on the island, being a fan of fish, and liked its combination of lemony freshness and some mineral complexity a lot. Harvested over a period from mid-September to late October, and only bottled a week ago. Complex, interesting nose, lemon, herbs, almost salty and resinous on the palate. Lovely. Reminds me a little of Vermentino, though Michalis thought maybe Verdejo? €8. Normally drunk within a year on the island (Michalis said "they want to drink it in August" - i.e.before it's harvested!), but...
Xinisteri Fumé 2012
This was an experiment, Xinisteri aged in old oak for 6 months (I notice also that
Kyperounda's Petritis, seemingly the benchmark Xinisteri, though in a somewhat atypical richer style, also makes claims to ageability, and naturally I intend to find out!) Very deep colour, looks like a sweet Jurançon. tastes very old and rich, but the palate doesn't live up in the nose. Michalis thought this might be because of the techniques used rather than because Xinisteri can't age per se.
Rosé 2015
Lovely colour from this Maratheftiko rosé, and a complex nose more like a red wine. Certainly seems to capture the elusive aromas of the variety. Michalis explained that Maratheftiko is a difficult grape to grow and vinify, as it ripens unevenly. This makes it suitable to rosé, however, as the less ripe grapes add useful acidity. This was the first Maratheftiko rosé in Cyprus, apparently. €8.50
Gris 2014
Also Maratheftiko, and a much smaller production. I've only had
vin gris in Morocco, not sure where else it is made. Lovely delicate colour, and higher aciditry and lower alcohol (12.5%) than the "straight" rosé. This is made from the first and third
tries (given Maratheftiko's ripening pattern, this is required). A touch of tannin there, a very food-friendly wine I think. €15
Maratheftiko Syrah Mourvèdre 2015
Ezousa's "house" red, proportions 40/30/30, with a small portion of the Maratheftiko aged in old oak (9 months). Bottled 10 days ago. This is the first year Syrah has replaced Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend - Michalis feels Cabernet is not so appropriate for Cyprus's climate (he's also becoming more and more interested in Mourvèdre, and is thinking of making a varietal from his 20 year-old vines). Rich nose, cherries and red fruit. Lovely everyday wine, with good acidity , very clean and elegant. Really like this. €8
Syrah 2014
More oak on the nose, dark fruits. Smoky bacon. Leathery on the palate, with soft tannins. 8 months in old oak. This was probably my favourite wine, and I'm sure it will age beautifully for a few years, especially from this excellent vintage. €17
Syrah 2010
Opened by way of comparison to the 2014. Oak now much more integrated, with everything in place. Slightly drying tannins, structure and acidity. Perhaps lacks something of the exuberance of fruit of the 2014, but I am already regretting not picking up a bottle of this in the airport shop.
Maratheftiko 2014
Complex nose with the full array of Maratheftiko aromatics - cherries, spices, the oak already well integrated in comparison to the Syrah. Quite a dense wine, rich and full of the taste of fresh berries. Really nice, and will surely age well in the medium term. €18
I know my palate is pretty shite and I can't write notes for toffee, but hey, it's the least I can do for Mr Michalis and hopefully it will be of interest to some. Had some other nice wines too...
Tsiakkas Xinisteri,
Argyrides Maratheftiko... I'll have a go at loading a few pics at home later on.
I think I will have two nights in Limassol and two in Polis. Interested in any recommendation for wineries I might visit, if possible easily combinable with other stuff and - especially - a good walk or two. I would prefer to pay for tasting really, as I won't have luggage to bring bottles back (though I will certainly check out the duty free on leaving!)