The Malagousia Grape

Malagousia is a white-wine grape originating on the southern coast of mainland Greece. Its rise to popularity is a remarkably recent one: once again, a single champion—in this case, Evangelos Gerovassilou, then at Domaine Porto Carras—brought the variety from obscurity to reknown.

That rise to popularity seems well justified. The typical Malagousia is characterized by a rich nose of floral and citrus aromas, while the palate presents those and also spice/herb qualities. All in all, it is widely perceived as a high-quality, thoroughly pleasing wine.

Well-made Malagousia wines should have an alcohol content of about 13%, give or take maybe a half a percent; outside that range, it can lose its distinctive character, and risks becoming just another fair-to-middling white wine.

Some Malagousia wines are made in stainless-steel tanks, while others are oak-aged. Reviewers seem to find both styles rewarding—a bit different, but equally rewarding. (Vangelis Gerovassiliou, obviously a top expert on this variety, makes his wine as a blend of oaked and unoaked Malagousia.)

Factoid: While it was Vangelis Gerovassiliou who championed and brought to fame this variety, the original source of the vine cuttings he used was Vassilis Logothetis, a Professor of Viticulture at Aristotle University, who discovered the vines in the region of Nafpaktia.

Some Descriptions of Malagousia Wines

Wikipedia
“The grape is highly aromatic and has the potential to produce soft, elegant wines.”
Wine Searcher
“Malagousia is best known for its citrus and peach characteristics, often showing various melon flavors on the palate. It is often used as a blending agent, most notably with Assyrtico, to which it adds middle body weight.”
Greece Is
“It stands out for its finesse, balance and aromatic qualities. Whether used in blends or as a single varietal, the grape produces wines of medium alcohol content, with an exceptionally expressive nose and aromas of flowers (rose), white-flesh fruits (pears, mango, peach), herbs (apple geranium, mint, sage) and citrus fruits (lemon, orange, grapefruit).”
New Wines of Greece
“Today, after painstaking work from university professors and top growers, Malagousia is widely considered a world class grape, producing outstanding dry whites, as well as a few dazzling sweet examples. Malagousia makes wines that are medium pale, lemon green in color while the nose is very intense and highly expressive, showing hints of peaches, green bell pepper, basil and flowers. On the palate, it is round, full but always fresh, with moderately high levels of alcohol…In general, oak ageing flatters Malagousia, but many stainless steel versions are equally impressive.”
World’s Best Wines
“The distinctive aromas of Malagousia, ranging from lime, citrus, exotic fruits to basil are likely to undergo oxidation and thus the winery should be taken care off. This grape variety is generally used as a blending agent, and adds middle body weight particularly to Assyrtico. The aromatic profile of the wine highly depends on the time of harvest. If the vine is harvested below 11.5% alcohol, the scent is reduced. If harvested above 14%, the fragrance becomes similar to Muscat and can be overwhelming. The sweet spot is present in the range of 12.5-13.5%…The wine produced by Malagousia is lemon green, medium pale in color while the nose is highly expressive and immense exhibiting the notes of basil, flowers, green bell pepper and peaches. It is full-bodied and round on the palate with usually high amount of alcohol.”
I Love Greek Wine
“Despite the different expressions of Malagousia throughout Greece, the variety tends to give wines that are rich and full-bodied with relatively low acidity. They are intensively aromatic with a broad spectrum of aromas – ranging from flowers and blossoms to citrus fruits like lime and orange – complemented with some herbaceous notes that remind of basil. There are both oaked and un-oaked examples of Malagousia wines. Varietal wines are usual; however the variety is also blended with other local or international grape varieties by adding its aromatic character and richness.”
Yiannis Karakasis, M.W.
“Textbook aromas include flowers and herbs in cooler mesoclimates followed by a rich and round palate with soft acidity. Up to 13.2% abv the citrus fruit expression is dominant but when alcohol goes above 13.5% terpenes oxidise and aromas lean more to the Muscat character which means that the variety loses its typicity…For me Malagousia is a little bit like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. If treated like a quality grape there is lot of complexity, ripeness and depth. Otherwise it is an aromatic Pinot Grigio.”
Winemusing
“The white grape Malagousia offers a much more tropical experience while still retaining floral perfume and a citrus zing…Malagousia can be rich and fuller in style even without oak and has a powerful intensity.”
Wine Folly
“Saved from extinction in the 1980’s, this white wine grape continues to impress those whorsquo;ve been lucky enough to try it. Wines lean more towards richer, aromatic tropical fruit flavors (mango and peach!) along with a crisp bitter-citrus note. The best wines come from Macedonia from the Epanomi PGI (PGI is a regional wine classification of Greece) and itrsquo;s possible to find Malagousia blended with Assyrtiko to increase the acidity. ”
Greek Boston
“Malagousia is aged in oak, which is does well in, but also in stainless steel vessels, which produce good results. Aging in the bottle can be done up to four years or longer…The aroma of Malagousia wine tends to be intense with notes of peaches, basil, flowers, and citrus. Vines that are harvested below 11.5% alcohol will have a less intense scent. When harvested above 14%, the scent will resemble that of Muscat and overwhelming for many people. The perfect amount of alcohol for Malagousia seems to be around 12.5 – 13.5%.”

Some Malagousias 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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