In March we hosted a wonderful tasting by Lance Foyster MW of Clark Foyster. They are a specialist wine importer founded by husband and wife team Lance Foyster MW and Isabelle Clark.
Lance’s introduction to the company reads “As part of our university degrees, both Isabelle and I studied the history, culture and literature of Ancient Greece. This required visits of course, usually during summer months, and involved beaches, tavernas, souvlaki, ouzo, retsina etc. and we loved it. So much that we spent our honeymoon in Crete and The Mani”.
For more information:
Web: clarkfoysterwines.co.uk
The wines tasted were:
- Oenops Apla Red 2019 Nikos Karatzas (Drama)
Nikos Karatzas is the face behind ‘Oenops’ (= ‘wine face’). He studied in Bordeaux then became chief winemaker at a very young age at the high-profile Pavlidis winery, in Drama, Eastern Macedonia, before setting up his own project in 2015. Apla red is a Xinomavro, Limniona, Cabernet Sauvignon blend. - Zafeirakis Malagouzia 2020 (Tirnavos)
Christos Zafeirakis’ family have lived in Tirnavos, by the foothills of Mount Olympus in Central Greece for numerous generations. His Malagouzia whites come from a grape variety which in 25 years has reached a high level of popularity in Greece having previously been almost forgotten. It’s a dry but moderately aromatic white, a delicious, charming and versatile wine with or without food. - Argyros Estate Assyrtiko 2019 (Santorini)
Assyrtiko is the indigenous grape of the volcanic island of Santorini with a marvellous ability to produce strong but vibrant, crisp, energetic and minerally wines. Argyros Estate, founded in 1903, owns 65 hectares of vineyards. Some of these are recently planted, but many are of an age rarely found anywhere else, and the grapes from these vineyards are used for the Estate wines. Santorini Assyrtikos are, according to Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book (2021), “still cheapest 4* whites around” and Argyros is a “Top Santorini producer”. This should be a spectacular bottle.