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It’s all Greek to me – or so says the headline, but indeed true!
I’m a sucker for something different so imagine my surprise when Bethann at Vine & Table, Carmel, suggested I try this Rosé. She knows I love Provence and open to trying wines from other regions..
I have had some Greek wines and find them generally agreeable but this Rosé far surpassed that low benchmark. The wine is known as 14-18h by Gaia Wines. The 14-18h represents the hours the juice remains in contact with the red grape skins to get the beautiful cranberry color in the glass.
The grapes grow at a high altitude in the vineyards at Asprokambos of Neme. The juice is chilled while maintaining its brief contact with the skins for its color.
I liked this for it’s richness and full mouth feel. It reminded me of French Rhone Valley Rosé wines.
It had pronounced strawberry on the palate. The winery’s website suggested watermelon which I didn’t find at all. But this was deliciously different Rosé that really satisfies. It’s a moderate 13 percent alcohol. I enjoyed it with steelhead trout Tuesday and some shrimp tonight.
It’s a juicy wine while maintaining its dry characteristics. CellarTracker members gave the wine 89 points. That’s about right.
Oh, the wine is made of 100 percent Agiorgitiko. It’s a very heat-resistant grape, which makes sense for Greece. It’s often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and can be lighter and delicate like this Agiorgitiko wine or much more tannic when turned into red wine.
Gaia 14-18h Rosé, $15.99, Vine & Table, Carmel, Highly Recommended.