Papras, "Oreads" 2020

Producer Profile: Wine of the (Greek) gods!(?) Sitting at the foot of Mount Olympus, it goes without saying that grapes were made to be grown here. Beset against a hyper-rare-in-Greece grassy plainland in the lower foothills of potentially the world’s most famous Mount (the Olympus one), Stergios Papras of Papras Bio Wines has been cultivating organic grapevines for as long as he can remember. Indeed, the first year it was possible to be certified organic in Greece – 1990 – he found himself at the top of the list. In addition to his rigorous work to maintain a thriving polyculture among the vines, Stergios has long been one of Greece’s most well-respected oenologists. So much so that from 1979 until very recently, he served as the local co-op of Tyrnavos’s president and head oenologist, helping spark the wide renown of the locally-made spirit Tsipouro which is a kind of pomace-based raki (a specialty distillate). Further, he’s helped re-popularize the grape from which this wine we carry in the share is made: the Black Muscat of Tyrnavos. Aromatic as can be though with a bit more fruit and acid than the Muscat you may find elsewhere, this rosé bottling is one of our perennial favorites in the shop both for its novelty and of course its… “smashability,” if we’re being technical. We love this wine and we love Stergios! “Oreads” refers to the mythical nymphs of Mount Olympus.

Vinification: 100% Black Muscat. Grapes are hand-harvested and vinified in stainless steel on the skins for 2 weeks. Bottled unfiltered and unfined with just a touch of SO2 at bottling. 

Tasting: Light bodied and slightly cloudy, pomegranate-red mixed with a subtle orange hue in the glass, like a summer sunset. Strong aromatics including lychee, pineapple, navel orange and wildflowers. The fruit on the palate is all overripe cherries and blueberries, but sprinkled with a warming spice, like cracked black pepper. Finishes with a touch of bitterness and a hint of grippy tannin.