Markou – Retsina

VARIETY: Savatiano of Attica 100%. Savatiano is perhaps the most historic variety dating back to 2500 years and most planted variety in Greece due to its resistance to draught and disease. However, because traditionally it had been used alongside other varieties in blend wines and also for the traditional appellation wine Retsina, it had not been properly explored until recently. Savatiano gives robust wines of surprising character that are both beautifully drunk in their youth but that also age remarkably well.  It is now building a reputation as a truly unique variety of great finesse offering citrus and tropical fruits aromas as well as mineral undertones that climax when aged.

GRAPE ORIGIN: The grapes come from low altitude vineyards, only at 100-150m above sea level from the PGI appellation zone of Attica slope-less valley. The vines were planted in the 1950s after a phylloxera plague that had then destroyed the entire Attican wine country and are now 60+ years of age. Argillaceous clayey soil, no irrigation low goblet vines.  Yields are around 4,500kg/ha.

CLIMATE: The winter in 2017/2018 was mild with frequent rainfalls and the summer was hot, mostly dry except some rainfalls that occurred in the beginning of June which resulted in a smaller yield but healthy and qualitative fruit nonetheless.

VINIFICATION:  All Vinification and bottling is done at the Markou Vineyards winery in Peania Attica. The grapes are destemmed and crushed at low bar pressure momentarily after harvesting and only the first juice is collected.  The must is then put into one stainless steel tank and it was next inoculated with different yeasts to add complexity.  At the start of the fermentation, which lasted for 4 weeks at controlled temperature of 16 degrees Celsius, a small amount of unprocessed fresh pine resin was added in the tank wrapped in cotton gauze and was only removed when fermentation ended.  Then the wine was cold stabilized and filtered only once right before bottling.

PRODUCTION: 10,000 bottles

TASTING NOTES: A refreshing, fruity, white dry wine with mastic and pine overtones combined with a rich herbaceous character. Exiting, well balanced with a long aftertaste and spunky introduction.

FOOD PAIRING:  Seafood, sushi, tempura vegetables and shellfish, summer vegetable dishes

ANALYSIS:
Alcohol: 12.5%
Total acidity: 5,2
PH: 3.60
Residual Sugar: 0,2 g/l

Farming Practices: Sustainable

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