Nemea, Santorini and Naoussa are acclaimed by wine lovers. The best known Greek wine appellation however is Mavrodaphne of Patras – known to the masses for its fortified, sweet port-style red wines. It is one of the strongest wine export products of Greece.
Sadly, it might also be one of the most underperforming wine appellations of the country. The export markets have been flooded with cheap and unexciting Mavrodaphne wines for years. It is often one of the few Greek wines offered by merchants, tucked away in a hidden corner deep down on the floor.
How did it come to this? The current legislation takes part of the blame, as it allows the addition of up to 49% of Black Corinthiaki (famous for the production of currants). There are enough growers who maximize this percentage, a poor choice for the resulting quality of the wine. The size of the appellation is large and includes unsuitable land; the lawmakers have been too lax.
Growers and producers are also to blame: Mavrodaphne is often sold in bulk to large companies who bottle and sell it as a product of the region. In order to save costs, ageing might take place in stainless steel tanks or cement vats, rather than in oak barrels. The vast majority of Mavrodaphne wines are sold as non-vintage wines.
All of the above factors have contributed to the decline in quality and price. This has tainted the reputation of the appellation.
Despite this, some stunning Mavrodaphne of Patras wines are being crafted that have the ability to rival the top sweet wines of the world. If this were the norm rather than the exception, the name of the appellation would be whispered alongside with Port or Madeira.
One example of a truly outstanding Mavrodaphne of Patras wine comes from the family owned Karelas winery that was founded in 1936. They do not use any Black Corinthiaki grapes as a blending partner, opting for 100% Mavrodaphne instead. The 2001 vintage is still available at the winery and shows perfect now. The alcohol content is 15%. It has a medium deep bright toffee colour. The nose is extremely forthcoming with lovely aromas of caramelized fruit, marzipan and a hint of oxidation. It is light bodied on the palate with crisp acidity and explosive fruit. The wine is harmonious throughout, with a strong mid-palate and a matching finish. It is mouth watering and makes you yearn for the next sip. There is no pretension here, just a beautiful balance.
A wine like this is not cheap, yet inexpensive. It has nothing in common with the vast majority of the sweet wines that come from the area – apart from the appellation name it shares with them.
Nerd fact: The appellation law allows for two different fortification methods: In the case of “Vin Doux”, fortification takes place before or in the very early stages of the fermentation, resulting in wines with at least 200 grams of residual sugar per litre. For “Vin Doux Naturel”, the fortification takes place after the initial fermentation. This method typically leaves about 160 grams of residual sugar per litre. The alcohol level is typically around 15% for both.
Nice article Markus, bravo! Mavrodaphne is underrated both as a dessert wine and generally as a variety (the dry Mavrodaphnes being produced now are beguiling and getting better and better) with some people remarking that it’s the new and up and coming variety. As for the dessert wine I believe Mark Squires rated the Achaia Clauss Grande Reserve (I think the 1978 although I may be wrong) quite highly. And I think you hit the nail on the head regarding Mavrodaphne being better without the addition of the Mavri Korinthiaki variety (I think Antonopoulos’s version is 100% Mavrodaphne & I love that) – although to be fair I do like Hortais from Mercouri. There may be an economic reason for allowing the additional grape in the wine as both Achaia and Ilias prefectures had a huge economy in currants that near enough collapsed during the 20th Century due to slowing demand in the export markets. Also nice to see you mention Karelas as their Mavrodaphne is very nice (I also rate the Parparoussis – both dry and sweet as well as the Reserve from Cavino). I will never forget being dumbstruck (as was an English friend of mine who is a huge oenophile and lover of port) when I tasted some of the Karelas 1944…simply mesmerising…
Thank you Kosta – I agree with you on the dry Mavrodaphne’s and on the additional producers you highlight. I really appreciate you adding some historical perspective, excellent.
Hi Markus, nice article. As a side note, Mavrodaphne is being discovered here in the USA.
The Karelas Mavrodaphne received “Best of Class”, 92 points at the Los Angeles International
Wine Competition, and it also did well in the San Francisco and Indiana Competitions as well.
I really enjoy Mavrodaphne of Patras which up until now I have been able to order from Tesco in the UK. However they don’t seem to have it in stock and so I would like to purchase it from another wholesaler or find a similar red desert wine from Greece.
Christopher, I suggest you look for Mavrodaphne in http://www.wine-searcher.com – there are also some excellent sweet reds produced from the grape variety Agiorgitiko.
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Top wine what more can I say beautifully sweet and a pleasure to drink
Most interesting article; many thanks for sharing your thoughts. A little late in commenting, but I have to concur 100% with Kostas Katsoulieris’s comment about the Karelas 1944. It is, quite simply, absolutely stunning and one of the best wines I’ve ever had in my life. Still have 3 bottles in my cellar, from a case of 12 I bought 20 years ago; I’m being frugal. Family connection: my father served as RN liaison officer with the Hellenic Navy on corvette RHN Kriezis in the latter half of WW2. He adored my Karelas ’44 and told me he was sailing in the Patras area during the ’44 harvest!