The Sixth Sense

Crete has been a winemaking region for 3,600 years (give or take). Never heard of Crete? It’s Greece’s largest island and home to the former Minoan Empire. I visited this very cool spot mid-2012 and not only saw rudimentary wine presses from, you know, three millennia ago (at the awesome Knossos Palace), but visited multiple wineries and brought home the Ekti Ekdosi (which translates to “Sixth Edition”) from Tamiolakis Winery. Full disclosure, you can’t buy this in North America, and it’s in limited distribution even in Europe, therefore you need to head to Crete to actually taste this wine. Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Merlot (30%) and Kotsifali (30% - an indigenous variety on the island with elements of spicy prunes, leather, cinnamon, small red fruits) makes up this flagship wine. When I first tasted this wine it had been in bottle a mere 2 weeks but showed promise; 4 months later it has opened up like a Cretan summer,: expansive, joyous and energetic. There are the traditional Cab and Merlot flavors of blackberry and black cherry but with the Kotsifali addition the cinnamon and prune notes soften the Cab, making it more complex. The blend on this wine is seamless and shows how focused Crete winemakers have become. Though you may not find this in a store near you, when in the Mediterranean, look for Crete wines – you won’t be disappointed.

$20/ 750 ml – Alc: 14.6%  ALL ABOUT GREEK WINES

BOOZEHOUNDZ RATING: 90 POINTS