Vidia 2019, Chardonnay, Strofilia Winery

     26/7/2020.  After inverting the merger with Katogi-Averof, the Strofilia winery team has shown spectacular improvement in all their wines.

 From the most economic to the premium labels, aromatic expression and palate have greater transparency, clarity and precision in the last 20 months. This wine is no exception.

    It is a single vineyard cool climate Chardonnay from a more than 20 years old mountainous plot in Asprokambos, Stymfalia plateau, north Peloponnese. Vidia slopy vineyard lies at 900 metres, yielding less than 9,000 kg/ha from deep clay, alkaline soil rich in calcium carbonate that helps to retain water in the summer. That amounts to less than 2000 bottles each year, this being the second bottling. It corresponds to steely Chablis rather than a rounded rich Burgundy. For the aficionados of the style, this is an advantage.

    Light almost greenish-yellow colour. Discrete, but clear nose of green apple and greengage with hints of almost unripe white stone fruit and honeydew as it warms up in the glass. Aromatic clarity increases as the volume reduces in the bottle. Sincerity here, same fruit in the palate: an elegant, austere, finely structured, tight body of high acidity, perfectly balanced. The fine structure shines in the effortless manner it handled the 1,5 kilo beautifully grilled sea bass, while the 13,5% alcohol  is not even suspected. Fine intensity and discrete steeliness lead to a delicate but delightful lemony finish that lasts longer than you think.

     Apart from the fish, almira, Italian radishes and courgettes kept fine company, as did Rene Aubry’s music, reminding us once again what a good pupil of Manos Hadjidakis he is, while time had this elastic quality that makes us prefer to stay at home.

   Do we ask for more? Certainly. Since this is only the second bottling and it took place in January, there must be a lot of room for improvement. Having tasted two bottlings of another wine 6 months apart, due to covid 19, and being very impressed by the latter, maybe spending more time on fine lees with minimal stirring would increase the body considerably, leading to a balance on a higher level, similar to a premier cru.

   The moral of the story is that if you have the guts, you should go on with the divorce, it pays out.