Papras, "Red" 2018

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 repopularize the ancient Black Muscat of Tyrnavos. Aromatic as can be though with a bit more fruit and acid than the Muscat you may find elsewhere, hi rosé bottling is one of our perennial favorites in the shop both for its novelty and of course its… “smashability.” Another part of his wonderful range is this bright & pure and particularly Mediterranean take on Cabernet Sauvignon, carrying both a sense of expertise (i.e. “clean”) & curiosity in its slightly higher-tone acidic streak.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon from steep, limestone-rich vines grown on the south slope of Mt. Olympus. The grapes are manually harvested and given an extended maceration on the skins (32 days!) in stainless steel. Fermented with wild yeasts and rested in neutral oak for 7 months. Unfined, unfiltered, with a touch of SO2 at bottling. Deep and rich but with a hint of VA to keep it interesting. Excellent fruit, classic winemaking, no-frills / all comfort. This would be an excellent companion to a Sunday roast.