Single vineyards: does specific terroir mean better wine?
I have recently seen wines with GPS coordinates on the label, where the language used even conveys a highly specific sense of place regarding the vineyard. Many wineries in Cyprus now produce wines with a Single Vineyard description on. What you buy with a single-vineyard wine is geographic specificity. Should we drink more single vineyard wine? Is this a guarantee of the quality in the bottle? There is not a straightforward answer to this.
The beauty of single vineyard wines is that they really are a pure expression of that little slice of terroir from each specific vintage. The challenge is that the vineyard can produce a very limited quantity of wine. Most winemakers in Cyprus look at the entirety of a geographical region, like Paphos or Limassol, rather than produce wines from a patchwork of smaller ones. Most successful winemakers with Geographical Indication also look to individual standout sites for their wines and bring them together with excellent vision and harmony. Vineyards from amazing locations of the same appellation knit together a beautiful blend. Most, though, still label their wines as coming from a large region often more likely to be crafted from bulk juice.
This kind of vineyard blend goes some way to filling the vast gap between strictly Single Vineyard terroir-driven wines with the bulk-produced ones. The “blenders” argument is that blending juice from different sites allows the winemaker to adjust for the vagaries of the vintage and vineyard. Blending isn’t needed if a vineyard is of consistently exceptional quality. If you can make a better wine year after year through blending multiple vineyards, that’s a smarter choice than bottling an inferior wine just so it can be labelled and priced as single vineyard.
Worldwide, even within single vineyards, winemakers have options for blending, and the process is often an important part of single vineyard wines. When blending, winemakers admit they have options to play with, even within single vineyards. Winemakers may focus on different plots within one site or slope, or even work with different varieties in the same vineyard. Blending gives them the ability to highlight the site and vintage with the different tools of blending components within the same site. Great sites have shown themselves to be great over time, whether it be through a high unique character, consistent wine quality or simply because quite often the best sites can shine in great or even challenging vintages.
To find those top sites in Cyprus will take more time and more experimentation. Not every vineyard is special enough to merit vineyard designation.
The Single Vineyards are in the expression of a singular place, a singular terroir, and a consistency. Year after year, the same vines produce what is essentially the same wine, whereas a blend may vary significantly.
Kathikas Winery Epiloges Single Vinyeard line
Epiloges (Selections) by Vasilikon Winery is a trilogy of wines from 100% Xynisteri planted in three distinct villages: Arodes, Inia and Kathikas. This means three different wines, three different plots all under PDO Laona Akamas. This concept was born out of the winery’s love for Xynisteri, aiming to further highlight the variety and explore its boundaries. Each vineyard possesses its unique characteristics that make it truly exceptional. The fermentation was held spontaneously, without the addition of yeasts in an effort to create a wine reflecting the variety’s characteristics for each region and reflecting the terroir from which it originates.
2022 Kathikas Vasilikon Winery, Kathikas Single Vineyard, PDO Laona Akamas, ABV 12.5%
Planting year 1967, shaped in a traditional goblet, calcific soil with 15% clay, altitude 700 meters, west orientation. Pale yellow with the greenish tint typical of the Xynisteri grape. Fresh and aromatic with hints of citrus fruit and grapefruit, mandarin, apple and orange peel with hints of orchid blossom. A full body, palate of exotic fruits with pear and citrus, shows real drive, clean acidity, followed by a lingering mineral, salty finish. Refreshingly elegant. Pairs well with clam sashimi, or lightly creamed chicken. €14
2022 Kathikas Vasilikon Winery, Arodes Single Vineyard, PDO Laona Akamas, ABV 12%
Planting year 1920, shaped in a traditional goblet, clay-limestone soil, altitude 700 meters, east orientation. Pale straw yellow colour with green reflections. Its nose has white-fleshed fruits, pear, stone fruit aromas, with hints of glazed lemons. The palate is rich and very fresh, with good weight and crisp acidity, structured but also nicely textured, with mango and peaches and with some saltiness in the finish. Enjoy the wine, with buffalo mozzarella and tomato, mixed seafood grilled or chicken salad with peach. €14
2022 Kathikas Vasilikon Winery, Inia Single Vineyard, PDO Laona Akamas, ABV 11.5%
Planting year 2010, shaped in a traditional goblet, calcific-limestone soil, altitude 700 meters, east orientation. The colour is a definitive light yellow with green reflections. Expressive and radiant, there are sharp sensations of the Mediterranean: fresh flowers, white jasmine, lemon blossom, chamomile, herb’s mélange, yellow peach and candied orange. On the palate, there are typical notes of the softness of the wine that are supplemented by freshness and minerality. The lengthy finish finally gives time for minerals and fine herbs to develop and linger. Enjoy this wine with pesto chicken, meatballs or grilled sea bream. €14