Domaine Tselepos 2015 Nemea Red 750ml
John's take: "Deep coloured, hints of cheery, black plum, and spice. Fresh, flavourful, and unique."
The privately owned vineyard of 8.5 hectares lies at the greater region of Koutsi (Nemea, Greece) at an altitude of 350 meters. The soil is clay with slopes providing good drainage. Harvesting usually starts in late September and ends in October. Classic red wine vinification. 8-10 months aging in oak barrels. Ready to drink upon release, it features generous aromas of red fruit and dried nuts, with a long, velvety finish. Can be cellared for an additional 3 to 5 years.
--Winemaker
Yiannis and Amalia Tselepos when looking for a suitable location, they chose the earthen hills on the outskirts of the historic Mount Parnonas to plant their vineyards and founded Ktima Tselepos in 1989. The estate is located at the southeastern end of the Mantinian plateau, at an altitude of 750 meters. Yiannis Tselepos graduated from the Department of Oenology at the University of Dijon, France, and after having gained experience for two years in wineries of Burgundy, he settled in 1981 in Mantinia, the wine of which he has been producing since then. Enchanted by Moschofilero after the variety’s first vinifaction, he is the first of the younger generations of winemakers to rescue it from oblivion and putting it back on the map by presenting it in a mono-varietal way. The exceptional soil and climate of the region, characterized mainly by continental climate, poor claystone soils and the excellent sun exposure, were chosen for their ability to produce high quality wines. The main philosophy of the estate is to study, experiment and display all the potential of the Moschofilero variety, in order to establish its presence in the greek and international market. Today, Ktima Tselepos extends in 45 hectares of privately owned vineyards and 20 hectares of cooperating producers. Great attention is given to the grape-growing practices and to the management of terroir so that the variety delivers its best expression. The first label, Mantinia (Protected Designation of Origin), was released in 1990 and a few years later wines from international renowned varieties namely Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot followed. The volume of production of the winery has been increasing gradually, with the current production reaching the 450,000 bottles a year, allowing for the 40% of production to be exported, mainly to USA, Canada, China, Germany, Cyprus, Belgium and United Kingdom.