Greece

Stef Fleet

Hear ‘Greece’ and you don’t immediately picture cool climate winemaking. But the Tetramythos vineyards, 800-1,000m up the slopes of Mount Aroania, overlooking the Corinthian Gulf, are the only significant north-facing sites in the country. There is a ski resort down the road, and breathtaking scenery on all sides. Planted with a mix that includes own-rooted vines as thick as tree trunks and vanishingly rare grape varieties, they look almost wild, but are farmed organically and with great care. From this fruit, winemaker and noted Frank Zappa lookalike Panagiotis Papagiannopoulos crafts wines that combine fine detail and thrilling purity. Each one has a story, whether it’s the Mavro Kalavrytino being single-handedly saved from extinction, the perfectly judged, amphorae-fermented Roditis Orange, or the country’s only single-site Retsina, gently infused with pine resin taken from the trees around the vineyard. There are two ranges - regular and ‘Natur’, the difference being that the ‘Natur’ wines have zero added sulphites. In reality, all the wines are beautifully made, pure and characterful. Fermentation is with wild yeasts and ageing takes place in a variety of vessels, including clay amphorae shipped over from Crete. From our first visit, Tetramythos went to the top of our wishlist of producers. Pound for pound, the wines offer a level of interest and outright drinkability that is rarely matched.

Tetramythos

Wines

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