Moschofilero in white

In September, once the last of the regular members of our little tasting group had also returned from Greece, there was finally an opportunity for a larger white-wine tasting, this time devoted entirely to the Moschofilero grape. (As with the tasting (in German) of rosé wines from this red-skinned variety, we are including the wines sold as "Fileri" here as well, on account of the unclear relationship between them.)

The grape became known through the PDO Mantinia, in the mountainous heart of the Peloponnese, where it must make up at least 85% of any wine bearing that name (Asproudes is also permitted alongside it). These wines tend strongly towards the floral and are at the same time marked by alcohol levels that are low by Greek standards. By now the variety is also grown in a few other Greek regions, but it depends on a cool climate. In recent years it has been somewhat run over by the shooting star Malagousia, which at first glance seems to be a further Greek alternative for those who like flowery white wines. That said, Malagousia too is increasingly showing a diversification (in German) of style - with emphases on herbal and fruity variants - so that the Moschofilero grape still occupies something of a special role as Greece's bouquet variety. Anyone who reproaches high-alcohol Assyrtiko (in German) for owing its sufficient freshness only to its extraordinary acidity may well be better served by Moschofilero. For with its low alcohol and a crisp acidity, this variety delivers freshness quite effortlessly…

Before we come to the still wines we tasted, we must first mention a special wine that Milia Riza sent us around the last turn of the year. It is the debut wine of this young estate, aptly named Prelude, about which more information can be found here. It is made from Moschofilero grapes from Mantinia harvested in 2019, and after 8 months in stainless steel with regular bâtonnage it was bottled for a further 15 months of bottle fermentation (so it was disgorged in September 2021). The company aims to be the first in Greece devoted entirely to producing sparkling wines by the méthode traditionnelle. Several exciting wines, some later from its own vineyards, are already appearing on the horizon - and promise great things. For even this "prelude" - which came onto the market in just 530 bottles - has plenty to offer. Admittedly, 15 months on the lees does not yet allow for a heady mousse. But it was more than enough for a quick toast on New Year's Eve. And in the end, despite the limited fizz, we actually already award an excellent 16.5 points - because even if you were to leave the drink in the glass for a while and drink it as a still wine with a little too much carbonation, it would still simply be very, very tasty even so, and would have cut a fine figure among the wines tasted below. The reason for this is wonderful citrus aromas that harmonise superbly with the 12.5% alcohol.

But now to the still wines, and straight into the heartland of the Moschofilero grape, the PDO Mantinia. We name the Mantinia 2021 from Nemea Winery first, since it works as an uncomplicated entry-level wine and moreover clearly marks the fruity spectrum of Moschofilero on the nose. Apricot in particular pushes to the fore. Good acidity and a slightly soft tannin make themselves felt. Even as a Riesling drinker you can find something to like here. The finish is medium-long, if not especially complex. A very good 16 points.

The Mantineia 2021 from Vervenioti Winery, by contrast, shows floral notes on the nose that are more typical of the PDO Mantinia. Anyone wanting to get to know the PDO has here a very successful representative as an entry point into the region (for around €10). On the palate the flavour development is quite complex. There is residual carbonation, but aromas of dry straw buffer it very well. At higher temperatures the extract dominates; well chilled it is above all the acidity that shows to advantage, carrying the wine for a very long time. Hence: an excellent 16.5 points.

The Mantineia 2021 from Ktima Tselepou marks the floral end of the PDO's spectrum even more clearly, and is also less mineral than the wine from Vervenioti Winery. On the palate, tannin, acidity and residual sugar dance in competition with one another. The alcohol of 13% (0.5% above the two preceding wines) also lends the wine a little more weight. At the moment, however, a touch too much CO2 still disturbs the interplay quite a lot, so that at this point the wine only just scrapes to an excellent 16.5 points - though that is sure to change, above all because the finish still stands too far in the background. For around €10 this is in any case a very good choice for getting into the PDO Mantinia.

The discussion of PDO Mantinia wines is rounded off by the Atelier 1994 from Cavino, which we were able to win at auction online. The cork still looked fairly sound. The yellow hue is typical of age. On the nose as well as in the finish, butterscotch dominates. Tinned mushrooms are there, but not yet too prominent. Floral aromas - lilac above all - keep fighting their way to the surface. In terms of freshness, though, it is citrus that still has the most to offer. Overall there is already a slight lack of acidity to make the wine a real drinking experience. That is - it is there, but announces itself on the palate rather late. The finish certainly invites you to linger over the aftertaste. Only the first sip is too mineral. A thoroughly impressive good 15 points, for which a surprise on the upside would not have taken all that much more. Also interesting: a mere 11% alcohol testifies to this quite different era of Greek winemaking. In general, the PDO Mantinia experienced a great upswing in the early 1990s, when the Greeks suddenly discovered for themselves this wine so reminiscent of a cool climate. It is therefore no great surprise that a really quite respectable mass-market product emerged here. Some red wines produced at the same time are, despite their wood ageing, already further over the hill. (We will soon be discussing, for instance, the red Atelier 1991 and 1997 from Cavino, which we have just opened in a Cabernet Sauvignon tasting.)

The Mister Helios (Κύριος Ήλιος) from Ktima Kalogri marks an interesting pivot, broadening the view towards PGI Arcadia wines. On the one hand we have before us one of the most tradition-rich estates of the PDO Mantinia region. On the other, this spontaneously fermented organic wine already reaches well beyond the horizon - in aromatic terms, that is. Straight after opening, the nose is not merely lactic; it is quite simply to be characterised as "cheesy". On the palate, though, the wine then smacks your own prejudices right in the face. Even in the 2020 vintage there is still that light prickle, but here it fits the concept completely. For the taste buds report nothing but "woodruff" to the brain anyway. A terrific acidity that lasts forever. You don't have to like the wine. But if you do like it, you have to give it a superb 17.5 points.

The Αίθωνας 2020 from Fteri Vinum (which, like the next wine as well, also comes from PGI Arcadia, the wider surroundings of the PDO Mantinia) is at first rather restrained on the nose, but with its emerging aromas clearly declares its allegiance to the floral character of Moschofilero. With its 1.5 years of maturity it is drinking optimally now and leaves little to be desired. Only in the mid-palate is it not as strong as the finish would lead you to expect. A very solid wine that deserves a very good 15.5 points.

The Juliet & Romeo 2020, through its wax seal alone, signals that it wants to play a notch above the level of the other wines. Its colour actually pushes it into our still-pending tasting of Moschofilero rosé wines, but even compared with our last tasting of such wines it ultimately sets itself clearly apart, so that we are not too unhappy to have followed the label's designation. But yes … aromatically it is here - and only here - that red fruits are to be found. Herbs and flowers, though, are sprouting everywhere too. A crazy wine, which at the moment still has a shade too much CO2 for you to follow the trails deep into Greek forests entirely at ease. Either way, also on account of the successful interplay, still a superb 17.5 points, if only for its uniqueness.

After all these good wines, the rest of the Peloponnese naturally does not want to be left behind. The Moschofilero 2021 from Pentheas (actually Attica) is easy to get hold of via LIDL and shows how successfully a wine's stylistic profile can sometimes be captured even in large volume. Admittedly the wine pushes the flowery notes somewhat to the extreme, and of course, at 11.5%, it lacks a few building blocks in its structure. Nonetheless this is unquestionably already a very good wine of 15.5 points. Even in Germany the wine costs just €4.99. Someone still has to show me a Pinot Grigio of this quality at this price. (And we say this even though we were, for instance, quite critical (in German) of LIDL's Assyrtiko.)

The Fare Rebels white 2021 presents itself as a very patriotic wine, seeking to recall the start of the Revolution of 1821 in Kalamata ("Faré" in the local designation). The grapes, however, come from the other end of the Peloponnese, right up in the north, from Zevgolatio, as explained on AstirX's website. This does the wine no harm. True, it has only 12% alcohol, yet you are nonetheless taken on an aromatic rollercoaster ride - past spring meadows and citrus groves - and there is no shortage of variety. For a clear profile, though, something is still missing despite all the (revolutionary?) excitement. Interesting in any case to see acidity and bitterness (only here did we get grapefruit this clearly) for once not battling against the delicate little floral scents. This is indeed a wine with plenty of grip, one that also calls for food. That is worth an excellent 16.5 points.

The Kalderimi 2020 from Panagiotopoulos Wines, by contrast, is again a very local wine from the region around Pyrgos in Trifilia, one you really only come across if you happen to be travelling through the area. That is actually a great shame. For here, bouquet aromas finally marry harmoniously with fruitier notes for once. Marigolds and mirabelles combine into a very appealing impression on the nose. Lychee positively leaps out at you on the palate. In the finish it turns back more towards hay flowers. At 12.5%, though, it comes across as a touch forward here. In the long run this wine will not be able to keep pace with the Mantinia from Ktima Tselepou, but right now, with an excellent 17 points, it is - surprisingly - out in front.

The Moschofilero 2021 from Nikolaou Estate leads us back to the northern edge of the PGI Peloponnese, to Corinth - and a little to the edge of despair. The wine has oxidative notes of the kind you otherwise only know from mature wines - that is, precisely not the characteristics that you quite often notice at the nearby, likewise organic estate down on the plain, Giannikos Winery (on that winery, see here (in German)). Aromatically, you first imagine yourself somewhere back in the last decade. But then fennel and cumin assert themselves and you come upon the actually really quite remarkable tannin, even though at the same time (thanks also to the typical 12% alcohol) it comes across very straightforwardly. Does all this sound rather contradictory? It is. We won't even get started on the fruits in the second finish. Not a wine for meditative savouring, more one for animated argument. But the votes for an excellent 16.5 points win out. (The wine also wins the prize for the most confusing label hands down.)

The Moschofilero 2021 from Dionysos Winery likewise sends you a little into mature territory. This is due not least to the feeling that here you're tasting the Nemea Winery wine's apricots in dried form. In the long run, though, this impression - initially quite a positive surprise - does become somewhat wearing. Good acidity on re-tasting nonetheless lifts it to a very good 15.5 points.

Before we leave the Peloponnese, we must turn to the Fileri grape, which is either an ancestor or a descendant of the Moschofilero grape, or perhaps merely expresses a different terroir or a different degree of ripeness. At Panagiotopoulos Wines they assume they are different varieties, and the wine in the glass certainly makes that very plausible. A mineral wine that has hardly anything in common with the "Kalderimi". Mandarins make themselves felt a little. A very good 16 points.

The Fileri white (for the rosé variant see here (in German)) from Nestor Winery (PGI Trifilia) is likewise rather restrained on the nose, but then increasingly reveals a clearly perceptible, if not very differentiated, fruit. On the palate it is above all gooseberry, raspberry and apricot that show. The length is medium; acidity, alcohol and phenolics are in good balance. A versatile and very good (15.5 points) food companion.

With Rigel 2020 from Patsouros Winery - where they assume merely a difference in terroir - this mineral character is taken to the extreme. The wine couldn't care less about its predecessor's fruit (letting a little pineapple shimmer through throughout) and is steely-smooth. A wine for freaks. They will award it far more than the very good 16 points that we consider appropriate with most consumers in mind.

North of the Peloponnese - in PGI Evia - we then find ourselves with the Flevaris 2021 from Skoumpris Winery. And immediately what stands out is the interplay drifting into sweetness at 13%. Naturally you no longer think of Mantinia here (if anything, still of the Kalderimi from Panagiotopoulos Wines), yet the whole thing is pretty awesome. So here too one may award an excellent 16.5 points - and happily drink the bottle dry. With a bit of ageing there should be even more to be had here - not in fill level, but in points.

The θεμωνιές 2019 from Domaine Paliomylos takes this impression of a sweeter, riper style to the extreme too (so that we allow ourselves this little geographical detour back to the west coast of the Peloponnese) by coming in a 0.5-litre bottle. Teasing out the nutty aromas is thus no great feat. In return, of course, the fruit steps somewhat into the background. And so here too it remains - at, admittedly, still - an excellent 16.5 points. There is no longer any need to cellar this wine any further, though.