KTIMA GEROVASSILIOU | Avaton | 2019
limnio | mavroudi | mavrotragano

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Today we are going to review a very special wine from the Epanomi region in northern Greece – Avaton 2019 by Ktima Gerovassiliou. This wine is a blend of three indigenous greek varieties: limnio, mavroudi and mavrotragano, sourced from the estate’s vineyards that are planted on the hillsides of Epanomi PGI, in the Thessaloniki district, just east of the Gulf of Thermaikos, where limnio forms the wine’s main flavour profile and brings in natural acidity, mavroudi adds color depth and tannin extract, while mavrotragano enhances the wine’s structure and is responsible for those subtle terroir notes in the final blend. Avaton means an inaccessible and unapproachable place, inviolable and sacred. This particular wine has been vinified in a french styled manner, fermented in neutral oak vessels from Burgundy and then aged for 16 months in french oak barriques, of which 50% new oak, in order to add more complexity to the blend and, at the same time, to preserve the pure varietal characteristics of the three indigenous greek varieties. But enough with all that theory, that said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: deep ruby color
clarity: noble ruby shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & earthy
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: black cherry | black plum | blackberry | bramble
fruit character: overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: herbal | spice | oak | savory | earthy | other
__herbal: cypress tree | mint | pine tree | eucalyptus | dried herbs
__spice: peppercorn | cloves | anise
__oak: sun-dried oakwood
__savory: leather | game | musk | black olive
__earthy: graphite | quartz | granite | petrichor | forest floor | truffle
__other: hints of violets
primary layer: savory-earthy

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: medium+
alcohol: high
tannin: medium
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: seediness
body: supple | medium

//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: overripe
non fruit: savory-herbal
finish: medium+
aftertaste: bitter-seedy

//Scoring
KTIMA GEROVASSILIOU | Avaton | 2019
variety: limnio | mavroudi | mavrotragano
country: Greece | Macedonia
region: Epanomi
rating: 93.8

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for 2 or 3 more years
verdict: great | a must try wine
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This is definitely a great wine of Greece and, with a total of 93.8 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is an outstanding wine blend: seedy, savory and rustic – a wine that is still developing, thus one that requires at least 2 or 3 more years of bottle ageing. It feels supple, voluptuous and earthy, with crisp acidity, bitter-seedy tannins and a touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel. On the nose the wine delivers a very nuanced savory-gamey accent, mixed with overripe black fruits in the foreground, supported by a very delicate and rustic, leathery-earthy background, and a spicy-herbal layer in between the two. All in all, this is a quite plump and well structured wine blend, that feels complex, well balanced and round, with well preserved varietal characteristics and a very nuanced, terroir-driven delicacy. This is definitely a wine that has both, its own distinctive personality and the footprint of the Epanomi terroir. For the best food & wine experience, we would recommend to pair this wine with naturally-scented, rustic meats, like for example venison steak, duck breast or beef tartare. Cheers!

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