The Agiorgitiko Grape

(Synonyms: Aghiorghitiko, Mavro Nemeas, Mavro Neméa, Mavrostaphylo, Mavraki, Mavroudi Nemeas, Nemeas Mavro)

Background

The name means “St. George”, and that simpler English form is starting to turn up on bottle labels as more Greek winemakers target the American market.

Agiorgitiko is a red-wine grape originating in the region around Nemea in northeastern Greece (yes, the Nemea of Hercules and the Nemean lion). The grape is today grown principally in the same area, though there are lesser plantings throughout Greece. Any wine labelled “Nemea” must be of 100% Agiorgitiko. It is one of Greece’s two “signature” red wines (the other being Xinomavro).

The grapes are grown everywhere from sea level up to high elevations. It is generally felt that the higher-elevation plantings yield better wine, but it is from difficult to impossible for the average consumer to know which wine came from what elevation vineyard. Agiorgitiko is a royal pain in the vineyard, for numerous reasons. Quite recently, new and supposedly rather better clones of Agiorgitiko have been released, and plantings are slowly being converted. Whether that will have any effect on the resultant wines is unknowable but not likely.

Published descriptions of Agiorgitiko tend to be short and vague, in good part because winemaker styles and vineyards of origin have especially huge influences on the final product, which thus varies considerably from brand to brand. Generally, however, Agiorgitiko wines tend to have clear and positive tones of fruit, but are neither high in acid nor heavy in body; and the tannin level can be all over the lot, depending on the winemaker’s fancies. The wines are generally described as fruity and spicy; plum is sometimes mentioned as the fruit note. The better specimens, described by Oz Clarke as “burly, rugged” wines, can age well, but if care is not taken to avoid oxidation in the winemaking, or if the acid levels are weak, the wines need to be drunk young. (There is now talk of introducing a sub-classification system for Agiorgitiko, to help consumers sort out which specimens are likely to be worth what dollars.)

Agiorgitiko can be and occasionally is used in blended reds, but is chiefly bottled as a monovarietal. Besides making red table wine, however, Agiorgitiko lends itself to the making of rosé and dessert wine, as well as lightweight versions made by carbonic maceration; that is the same technique used to make Beaujolais, and the resulting wines are generally similar.

Factoid: The grape name Agiorgitiko, “St. George”, is likely from the name of one of the many towns in the region also so named, though it could derive from the chapel of Saint George in Nemea; in fact, Nemea was once known as “Agios Georgios”.

Some Descriptions of Agiorgitiko Wines

Wikipedia
“[T]he best examples of Agiorgitiko tend to have moderate to low acidity, with a deep, ruby color, red fruit aromas and a sweet spicy note. These examples tend to come from vineyards planted in the middle range of the hillside slopes around Nemea with grapes harvested near the top of the 900 metres (3,000 ft) hills being excessively acidic while those harvested from the very warm valley floor often being too ‘jammy’”…Wine expert Tom Stevenson notes that while Agiorgitiko vines can withstand heat well, the grape tends to produce better in higher altitude vineyards that are slightly cooler but still sufficiently warm to insure that the grape fully ripens. The altitude of the vineyard, in particular, seems to have an effect on how much of a ‘spicy note’ comes out in the flavor of the resulting wines. . . According to Master of Wine Jancis Robinson, some of the “most serious examples” of Agiorgitiko come from the higher altitude vineyards (up to 900 metres (3,000 ft) of the Asprokampos plateau around Nemea and in the hills (between 500 metres (1,600 ft) to 600 metres (2,000 ft) around Koutsi in Corinthia.
Gai’a Wines
“The wines have deep red color and aromatic descriptors of red-fruit (ripe strawberries, black-current) and butterscotch when young. Older wines from the best plots have aromas of confected or dried fruit (fig, raisins, plums). Tannins are remarkably soft and evolve in time very slowly.”
Berry Brothers & Rudd
“The resulting wine can take on a diverse range of characteristics, from soft, easy-drinking and plummy to fleshy, robustly tannic and age-worthy, depending on the yields, the location (elevation/aspect) of the vineyards and the winemaking processes. The differences between low-yield, high-lying and high-yield, low-lying vineyards are so pronounced, that there has been a call for a super-appellation in Peloponesse, ‘High Nemea’ (which rises to an altitude of 800 metres) to make these quality distinctions within the Nemea appellation zone more clear. At their best Agiorgitiko wines possess ‘good’ tannins in abundance which make it an outstanding candidate for both barrel ageing and carbonic maceration. With respect to the stylistic expression and blending potential, Agiorgitiko compares most closely with Merlot. It can be vinified as a single varietal, though it is frequently blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. The hallmarks of the grape are low acidity, medium body, plush fruitiness, overlaid by notes of spices and ripe plum.”
Wine Making Talk
“[It] can display a wide spectrum of characteristics from very tannic and really soft which really depends on the growing and winemaking techniques employed. . . The red wine varieties made from this grape is noticeably spicy with hints of plum. Again, acidity is low but it has a nice fruitiness and an appealing color.”
Greek Wine Portal
“It is one of the richest Greek in color varieties. Used mainly for production of dry red wine OPAP [Appellation of Origin of Superior Quality] and table, which has a deep ruby color is characterized by soft tannins and be open to aging. The usual alcohol content, wine OPAP ‘Nemea’ is 12.5% vol. This directly affected by the altitude cultivation of vineyards. Ideal altitude to produce the best quality red wines suitable for aging, it is between 350 and 600 meters, and the most common level of alcohol is 13% vol. For wine OPAP (Nemea) required minimum years of aging in a barrel a year. Aging can be reached ten years where the wine remains in the grape marc with more than six days. In fresh wines produced from this variety are identified fruity aromas reminiscent of cherry. The aging of wine leads to the development of a rich bouquet dominated by aromas of spices (e.g. nutmeg), or even balsamic aromas (e.g. rosemary).”
The Savvy Drinker
“This is the noble red of mainland Greece in Nemea (where Hercules killed the lion) and is responsible for wines that range from lighter and fruity (but still with tannic grip) to deeper and more brooding flavors.”
The Morning Claret
“Agiorgitiko…produces intensely fruity, if sometimes rather light red and rose wines.”
Wine Taste at Home
“This grape is a Greek varietal grown mostly in the Peleponnese that makes a low acid, spicy, plum-tasting red wine. As a varietal it is very susceptible to viruses which can explain its varying characteristics such as ranging from soft to tannic in structure. It can be made into dry, off dry, Rosé or sweet versions.”

Some Agiorgitikos to Try

For a Splurge

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This page was last modified on Saturday, 30 October 2021, at 11:26 pm Pacific Time.

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