Donaine Gioulis Sauvignion Gris 2013
10.11.2018 Everyone raves about Sauvignon Blanc wines they prefer, few even know Sauvignon Gris exists. However, it is a more interesting grape,
less aromatic, but with more body and capable of producing wines with more structure and longer lifespan. It is not preferred because of its low yields, but is frequently used unmentioned, in Bordeaux for instance, to add complexity and body to Sauvignon Blanc, whose mutation it is. Typically it has notes of not-so-ripe mango and melon behind citrus flower and peel and texture is luscious.
This is the only Greek S.G. varietal. Almost 20 years old vineyards planted at 950m on slopes at Klementi, north Peloponnese by Bordeaux educated oenologist George Gioulis around 2000. The altitude normally gives a steely Sancerre type character to the wine, with a different kind of minerality and texture.
On opening the bottle into a Riesling glass, explosive iodine, sea scent prevails. We change to a Pinot Noir one. Wet sea stone, seaweed, sea-shells, lime, mango and gradually toasted bread, sourdough, roasted almonds and hazelnuts, dried apricot, orange and lime slices. Amazing, not even a hint of being past its prime. Was intended to just pair a marinated bonito bruschetta, but we were impressed and went on with it throughout the meal (grilled open sea bream), saving the Pouilly Fuisse for another day. The mouth was equally impressive, luscious with lots of sea minerality, as above, but more mango and lime and lots of evidence of having spent time on its fine lees and enjoyed it. We even had some left for the dessert cheese. Long aftertaste, it lingered in the mouth making us take very small sips and keep swirling and sniffing to identify more of the developing secondary and tertiary aromas as it kept evolving. We even kept to multiple Shirley Horn albums to maintain the atmosphere and did not tire, nor the wine. Delicious.
Probably unavailable, but grab a current bottle or case.
