This beautiful estate bottled red was one of our absolute favorite wines during a recent tour of Greece. Made of 70% Cabernet and 30% Merlot, look for a rich, savory, sultry nose with mocha, black cherry, cassis and licorice flavors in a pure, velvety style. Violets, red roses, tangy plums and hints of earth pick up the finish. This serious red can be cellared and enjoyed over the next ten years but is also drinking really well right now.

Founded in 1989 by Yiannis Tselepos and his wife Amalia, Domaine Tselepos is located in Arcadia in the Peloponnese and produces wines from Arcadia, Mantinia and Nemea. We met Yiannis, tasted his wines at the winery and broke bread with him in a small, family-run taverna located nearby. We loved his enthusiasm for wine, winemaking and life in general, and we respect his ability to showcase indigenous Greek varietals as well as noble grapes such as Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. He actually made wine in Burgundy for two years after studying enology at the University of Dijon, and produces an extraordinary Chardonnay.

Ktima means 'Estate' in Greek, so all the grapes for this wine come from his own estate vineyards, and Yiannis has been making this particular wine since 1992. My final note on this serious, sultry and charming wine was, 'Ktima was like my Enrico Santini of Greece.' Meaning that it is a successful effort to make a wine made of Bordeaux varietals with super supple tannins while maintaining the soul of the region of origin. Fantastic effort. This is a must-try!

Send to a friend

print cellar notes