Another clue - One of the varieties used to produce the wine is indigenous to the country.
I'd actually not heard of any of the three varieties that make up this wine.
Quiz - Now
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Quizmaster
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Quizmaster
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Greece (sorry - it is greecian - the proxy did not update the site until after my post 
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Last edited by malliemcg on Fri May 08, 2009 3:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Quizmaster
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Quizmaster
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RogerPike wrote:Reserve
That'll do it, yes. Well done Roger, great effort considering the clues.
If you come across this, buy a bottle, it's very good.
The wine is RAPSANI EPILEGMENOS (RESERVE) comprising a third each of the following varieties:
Xinomavro (indigenous). The prevailing grape variety in Northern Greece. Its name means sour (xino) and black (mavro) because it gives wines with an austere structure and dark colour. The wine of Xinomavro has a particularly great ageing potential.
Krassato. As opposed to Xinomavro, cultivated only in Rapsani. It gives alcohol-rich wines of mild acidity and many fast-ripening tannins.
Stavroto. Only cultivated in the Rapsani area. The wine from Stavroto is of average alcohol content, with mild acidity and medium colour. It is quite tannic with fast-maturing tannins.
From their website:
The vineyards of Rapsani lie on the southern slopes of Mount Olympus , the Mountain of the Gods. Specific vineyard sites because of the soil, microclimate conditions and cultivation techniques, have the ability to create superior grapes. If the growing season is perfect, only the finest parcels are selected. These grapes, under the guidance of our expert winemakers, will give an outstanding wine.
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Mahmoud Ali
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That Xinomavro is a fine cultivar. I recently opened a bottle of 1993 Boutari Naoussa Grande Reserve and it was very good, still young with a raft of fine but firm tannins and deep, thick cherry and tar fruit. It went very well with the roast lamb and will continue on for a number of years.
Wines made by Xinomavro have been described as Barolo-like in a number of publications and this particular wine was highly acclaimed in a magazine I read many years ago. When I tried a bottle I found it had a lot of acidity but this was the very feature that the reviewer thought would propel it to a Barolo-like future in 10 or more years.
Well, the reviewer was right. And I suspect that the Rapsani Reserve, like the Boutari Reserve, will also cellar very well. Tsantali's reputation has improved over the years.
Good work Roger, and a nice find Quizmaster,
Mahmoud.
Wines made by Xinomavro have been described as Barolo-like in a number of publications and this particular wine was highly acclaimed in a magazine I read many years ago. When I tried a bottle I found it had a lot of acidity but this was the very feature that the reviewer thought would propel it to a Barolo-like future in 10 or more years.
Well, the reviewer was right. And I suspect that the Rapsani Reserve, like the Boutari Reserve, will also cellar very well. Tsantali's reputation has improved over the years.
Good work Roger, and a nice find Quizmaster,
Mahmoud.