£26.00
– Sold OutEstate Papaiouanno are experts in working with Greece’s most famous grape – Agiorgitiko, meaning St George, with wines made from this grape known as ‘The Blood of Hercules’. The Kitma Nemea A.O.C dry red wine is 100% Agiorgitiko, and comes from the hills of Nemea, Corinthia, in the Peloponnese on mainland Greece. At Papaioannou, grapes are harvested from 40-year-old vines grown in the private vineyards of the estate, situated around an ancient temple of zeus. The soils are of red clay type, with heavy limestone and schist deposits making for good drainage. The grapes are picked by hand in mid-august. After the harvest, the grapes undergo 10 days of cold-soak extraction, followed by fermentation in red brick tanks that have been used at the winery since 1830. With stirring on the lees, the grape must is decanted to separate out the marc, without mechanical any filtration. The wine is organic due to the cultivation methods used in the vineyards, and the low amount (approx. 30mg) of sulphite added in the wine making process. After fermentation, the wine is matured for 18 months in a mixture of new French and American oak, with one year in the bottle. The agiorgitiko grape is classically juicy and velvety on the palate, giving primary fruity aromas of cherry and secondary notes of spicy stewed prune and nutmeg. The red-brick tanks used in fermentation impart earthy flavours into the wine, while the ageing in oak gives a subtle vanilla flavour. The fermentation and ageing also add to the secondary aromas in the wine of yeast and oak. Serve this wine with delicate red meats like duck, or with meaty fish dishes with tomato-based sauces. This wine will also pair well with pasta dishes, cold meats or soft cheeses.
