Milia Riza

This past year, it seems I have been focusing more on the younger generation of Greek winemakers, but I am so amazingly happy about the future of Greek wine. Don’t get me wrong. There have been many stunning wines from my generation, plus or minus a decade. The thing is that these younger people have had the opportunity to travel and work abroad, which has opened their minds and broadened their horizons.

Today, I will be talking about the pairing of Greece and Portugal, as Nancy Mazou is Greek (the granddaughter of the emblematic Thanassis Papaioannou) and her husband, Stefano Stante, was born in Portugal of Italian and Brazilian origin. Quite an interesting mix of cultures and wine tradition! They’re in their thirties and have two young boys, aged 4 and 1. The first time I phoned Nancy to organise a meeting, I could hear kids’ voices in the background and I rather liked that. Although I imagine that having children at this age can be a handful. I actually asked about how they managed all the vineyard and cellar work with the two youngsters and they smiled, saying they have help from Nancy’s mom. What I loved about them was that they seemed so in love and so together. Stefano is more talkative and Nancy watched him as he talked with utter pride, nodding and smiling in agreement. She seemed happy to allow him to do most of the talking, and only now and again added on information.

Nancy studied Oenology in Athens and then went on to the Vinifera Euromaster programme, and Stefano studied Agronomy in Evora of Alentejo and went on to do a Master’s degree in Oenology and Viticulture in Italy. They met when they were both in Udine. Following their studies, they lived in Portugal for a while and in 2019, they decided to move to Corinth, as Nancy’s family vineyards were in the Nemea region of the Peloponnese. Before they took over the vineyards, the grapes were being sold.

In the beginning, they were not too sure which way they wanted to go, but after visiting the Peloponnese wine festival,l they realised there was a gap that seemed promising. No winemakers were making traditional method sparkling wines in the wider area, apart from Tselepos in Mantineia, whose focus is primarily on the Moschofilero variety. Their vineyards were planted with Agiorgitiko (the classic Nemean variety), Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. The vineyards are located in Xerokambos, at 330m, which has the advantage of cooling winds, in the valley and in Ancient Nemea. Xerokambos has calcareous soils with lime, clay and rocks, the valley is more sandy with some calcareous patches, and Ancient Nemea has clay lime soils. Cultivation is organic, certified since 2003.

When they took over, they realised that some of the vineyards were disease ridden. So, their first task was to start replanting with healthy material, an effort that is ongoing. Nevertheless, some of the replanting is for reasons of choosing rootstocks and clones that preserve acidity and are more tolerant of drought and heat. Now the vineyards are planted with Agiorgitiko, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Roditis Alepou. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vineyards still need to be replanted. The pruning method was changed to Guyot and they do not de-leaf. Apparently, harvesting their Agiorgitiko is quite challenging as there is quite a bit of heterogeneity in the vineyard, which requires multiple passes during the harvest. They own 2,7 ha of vineyards, of which 2,1 ha are currently harvested. They harvest only 100% clean fruit. Their first harvest was in 2020. It was the first time they ever made base wine. They sent it to a friend in Italy and he saw significant potential in their effort.

The grapes are placed in a cooling chamber at 5oC for 24 hours, whole bunch pressing in the early morning, natural sedimentation, innoculation with yeast, and batonnage for about 5-6 months. They bottle age for at least 18 months before disgorgement in order to preserve the freshness in their wines, but also gain the biscuit, brioche, bread and toast aromas that are so characteristic of traditional method wines. Up to just a few months ago, riddling was done by hand in pupitres, but they recently acquired a gyropalette. In 2024, they produced 15,000 bottles and are aiming to be up to 20,000 by 2027.

There are currently seven labels in their range of traditional method sparkling wine. Luntáne Blanc de Gris Brut Nature, made from Moschofilero (will be discontinued), 18 months on the lees, Luntáne Rosé de Gris Brut Nature, also Moschofilero, 18 months on the lees (will be discontinued), Azzardá Blanc de Noir Brut Nature, 24 months on the lees, made from Agiorgitiko, Azzardá Rosé Brut Nature also from Agiorgitiko, 3-4 hours cold soaking, 24 months on the lees, Tattìlle Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Brut Nature, 50%-50%, 40% of the base wine is aged in 3rd use oak barrels for 6 months, 24 months on the lees, The Experiential Blanc de Gris Brut from Moschofilero, base wine aged in 2nd use oak barrels for six months, and 19 months on the lees, The Experiential Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Extra Brut, 50%-50%, the base wine is aged in 2nd use oak barrels for 6 months, 27 months on the lees.

Tasting Notes

Luntáne Blanc de Gris Brut Nature 2022 Moschofilero, 18 months on the lees: Pale lemon, with aromas of citrus fruits reminiscent of lemon, lime and orange, with floral notes of orange blossom arising in the background. Nice mousse with fine bubbles on the palate, fresh and light, with a long lemony, slightly toasty finish. Lovely and refreshing.

Azzardá Blanc de Noir Extra Brut 2021 Agiorgitiko, 24 months on the lees: Pale lemon, with aromas of red berries and red fruit, red berry sherbert, some unripe stone fruit, fullish on the palate, with rather biscuity, fruit tart nuances, and a long red berry finish. An amazing expression of Agiorgitiko.

Azzardá Rosé Brut Nature 2022 Agiorgitiko, 24 months on the lees, light pink/salmon, with aromas of red berries and blueberry muffin, red cherries and red plum and notes of violet flowers. Slightly fuller on the palate than the Blanc de Noir version, crunchy and fresh, with a long red berry finish. I couldn’t decide whether the Blanc de Noir or the Rosé was my absolute favourite.

Tattìlle Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Brut Nature 2021 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. 40% of the base wine spends six months in 3rd use oak barrels, 24 months on the lees. Pale lemon colour. An interesting aromatic palette on the nose where lemon and apple notes are obvious, combined with the more strawberry, raspberry notes of the Pinot Noir. Slightly riper fruit, with smoky, toasty notes from the lees and a crisp, long finish.

The Experiential Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Extra Brut 2020, 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. The base wine is aged in 2nd use oak barrels for six months and spends 27 months on the lees. Pale lemon, leaning, just a touch, towards a deeper lemon colour. Here, the barrel is very well integrated and has given more breadth to the wine, with the lemon and green apple notes more apparent, and the red berry and floral notes arising in a whiff now and again. Once again, toasty, smoky notes from lees ageing and a beautifully long, vibrant finish. Very typical traditional method wine that could easily be mistaken for a French classic.

These traditional method wines can stand up to any of the famous traditional method wines of the world and look them straight in the eye. That said, the Agiorgitiko wines made my heart sing with their distinctiveness and paid true tribute to the fact that Agiorgitiko is described as a multivalent variety.

Images belong to Stefano Stante. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use them.