Wine & Spirits - August 2017 - 73

RE TS I N A
222903

92 | Papagiannakos

$18

Markopoulo Retsina ^ Vassilis Papagiannakos has spent much of his working life trying
to redeem the reputation of savatiano, the
grape of Attika, which became the workhorse
of the Retsina trade. But he's also interested
in preserving the history and culture of his
homeland, and so he makes a little Retsina
on the side. Using top-quality savatiano from
his own vineyards and a restrained amount of
fresh pine resin, he's produced an exceptionally refined Retsina. The pine comes across
in a clean, fresh scent that's more herb than
resin, while the fruit is lemony and crisp,
small sparks of mineral flavor adding light
and energy. § Athenee Importers & Distributors, Hempstead, NY
223294

91 | Kechris

$30

Retsina Rosa Rosé ^ Stelios Kechris crafts this
unusual wine from xinomavro, macerated
for just long enough to take on a bright pink
color, then fermented in oak barrels. The
grape's earthy cherry fruit goes surprisingly
well with the flavor of pine, its herbal notes
melding with the resin so that it's impossible
to tell where one component ends and the
other begins. With its significant structure
and weight, it's a Retsina for richer dishes,
like roasted eggplant and tomatoes with feta
cheese. § Mina Distributors, Milford, CT
223303

90 | Gai'a

$17

Retsina Nobilis ^ Yiannis Paraskevopoulos uses roditis instead of the more typical
savatiano for his Retsina, sourcing his fruit
from a vineyard at 3,280 feet in altitude.
That elevation makes for a vibrantly fresh,
crisp wine, all lemon zest and fresh-cut herb
flavor. The pine resin is an extra breath of
fresh air, a high-toned note with a cooling
effect that recalls mastikha, while a seashell
minerality holds the wine firm. Strident and
original, it's delicious with tyropita, Greek
cheese pies. § Athenee Importers & Distributors, Hempstead, NY
223293

90 | Kechris

$20

Retsina Tear of the Pine R16 ^ There is no
doubt that a barrel-aged Retsina is an unusual
drink. But stick with it past that first initial
shocking taste, and note how the pine makes
the oak flavors more interesting, while the
oak bolsters the fruit, creating a weighty, serious mouthful of wine. Made from assyrtiko,
this is firmly structured and will age well, but
it's also delicious now, an elegant complement to grilled mackerel stuffed with fennel
fronds. § Mina Distributors, Milford, CT n

YEAR'S BEST SHERRIES:

FINO & MANZANILLA
Our blind panels tasted 34 new-release Fino and Manzanilla Sherries over the past 12
months. Our critic for Spain, Patricio Tapia, rated 18 as exceptional (90+) and 8 as Best
Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

FINO
221824

96 | González Byass

$74/500ml

Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino Tres Palmas ^ The
Palmas line of González Byass aims to show
how Fino evolves under the veil of flor-
extending the age on the wines they use
for Tío Pepe. With ten years under the veil
(rather than three for Tío Pepe), Tres Palmas
carries a biological wine to the limit. This is
the way the best Finos were made until the
seventies, when heavily filtered, younger and
lighter wines came into fashion. This Sherry
shows all the signs of evolution of the great
wines of Jerez, the bone-dry flavors and vertical structure, the spicy finish and saline notes
everywhere. It carries the oxidative, Amontillado-like notes that develop as the veil of flor
becomes transparent, almost dissolving with
age. Consider this a monument to wines of
the past-a small cathedral for the worship
of Fino. § Vin Divino, Chicago, IL
221823

94 | González Byass

$45/500ml

Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino Dos Palmas ^ Based
on the casks of Tío Pepe, Dos Palmas spends
eight years under the veil of flor before bottling. It's close to the old style of "Finos
Amontillados" with long crianzas under the
veil. With its toasted almond scents, salinity,
chalky texture and deep stony flavors, this is
less opulent than Tres Palmas in its structure
but equally profound in its flavors. A classic. §
Vin Divino, Chicago, IL
223017

93 | César Florido

$16

Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino Cruz del Mar
(Best Buy) ^ César Florido is one of the few
wineries that still bottles its own wines in
the enchanting beach town of Chipiona.
The Cruz del Mar is the paradigm of summer Fino, ideal to drink at the beach. With
its firm structure, salty touches, tense acidity, details of mushrooms and the textured
sensation of drinking lime, this is a mirror
of the white albariza soil of Jerez. § De Maison
Selections, Chapel Hill, NC
223013

93 | El Maestro Sierra

$22

92 | González Byass

$20

92 | Alexander Jules

$42

Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino ^ This has the unmistakable delicacy and softness of El Maestro
Sierra's house style. Aged under the veil of
flor for four years, it has strong acidity, a deliciously abrasive texture reminiscent of the
albariza soils and a spicy finish that invites
you to drink the whole bottle with a plate
of pescaíto frito. § De Maison Selections, Chapel Hill, NC
221826
Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino Muy Seco Tío
Pepe (Best Buy) ^ González Byass releases
about 13 million bottles of Tío Pepe every
year, quantities that allow them to enhance
the consistent quality of this Fino. This new
saca has touches of white pepper, mushrooms and the feeling of the moist soils of
the Sherry cellars. More than fruit, it smells
of open spaces where wine is raised under the
veil-a classic Fino. § Vin Divino, Chicago, IL
222876
Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino 4/65 Part of the
collection from Sherry lover Alexander
Jules, this is a selection of casks from the
Juan Piñero bodega. "4/65" means that Jules
has selected 4 of the 65 casks that make up
the solera. And the selection is brilliant.
Salty breezes rise off this Fino. The texture
is creamy, and it has a salinity that enchants
and gives freshness to a corpulent, voluptuous wine. Try it with smoked trout. § Alexander Jules, Santa Monica, CA
215113

92 | Lustau

$25/500ml

Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino Jerez de El Puerto
de Santa Maria 3 En Rama ^ Lustau is part
of the "en rama" movement in Jerez with its
line of unfiltered wines. This wine spends five
years under the veil of flor and has emerged
with notes of green apple under salty flavors
of iodine and scents of the sea. It's full of
energetic acidity, but soft in texture, refreshing in all its aspects and deep in its mineral
notes. Pour it with ham croquettes. § Europvin
USA, Van Nuys, CA
221820
WINE & SPIRITS

AUGUST 2017

http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - August 2017