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Kokotos Estate an Athens Duty Free Hidden Gem

 


For the capital city of an Amazing wine country, Athens airport duty free wine selection sucks. Maybe if you’ve only gone through the airport once or twice it’s not so bad. But when you’re me and you go three to five times a year…it sucks. The selection rarely changes. It’s red heavy. It’s surprisingly international grape heavy. And there’s no Greek sparkling wine!

I rarely bother to even look in duty free anymore but on a recent visit I had extra time so I went in to waste some time. And found a couple under 13 Euro gems! An Assyrtiko and Malagouzia from Kokotos Estate. 

Kokotos Estate

Located about a 45 minute drive from central Athens, Kokotos Estate is a family winery started in the late 1970s. The Kokotos family decided to abandon city life to live closer to nature near the village of Stamata. Here they could have the best of both worlds – nature and easy access to the city. Something that works out well for all of us wine lovers too!

Just outside the village, Anne and George planted their first vines in 1980 on the northern slopes of Mount Pendeli. the vines, organically certified, sit at about 450 meters above sea level in sandy-clay soils with limestone and slate. They grow a mix of native and international grapes:

  • White: Malagouzia, Assyrtiko, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Savatiano, Roditis
  • Red: Agiorgitiko, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Kokotos Estate Partridge in the Vines Assyrtiko, 2021

In addition to being happy to find something new in duty free, I wanted to get this because I’m trying to drink more mainland Assyrtiko. Santorini Assyrtiko is still the star for me (despite the face-ripping-off levels of acidity it often displays). But, there’s not only a lot of it produced in various regions across mainland Greece, it’s also often significantly less expensive. 

Produced under the PGI Attiki, Kokotos Assyrtiko grapes are handpicked and stay in cold storage overnight before being de-stemmed, crushed, and pressed. After fermentation in steel tanks, the wine spends five months on the lees before bottling. Pale, cool silver-lemon in the glass with aromas of grapefruit, lemon grass, and white fruit. I was already loving this one and then I took a sip and POW. Bone dry, lively acidity, and an amplified echo of the aromas sensed on the nose. 

This slipped down so easily but with 13.5% alcohol falls into the dangerously delicious category for me. I don’t remember what I ate with this, but there’s a comment in my notes that it did very well with garlic. Which, if I’m cooking, could have been anything from my salad to my ice cream.

Kokotos Estate Heliogenesis Malagouzia, 2021

The Malagouzia grapes for the winery’s Heliogenesis are treated the same way as the Assyrtiko (handpicked, cold storage, five months on the lees etc). Unlike the Assyrtiko though, this is produced as a varietal wine with no PGI.

Platinum lemon-lime in the glass, this aromatic wine burst with intense citrus and tropical aromas. Citrus blossom, yuzu, peach, and passion fruit framed by fresh acidity. A streak of pomelo lingered before the wine finished on a pleasant citrus peel bitterness. Dry and medium-bodied with only 12.5% alcohol. 

I didn’t find this quite as impressive as the Assyrtiko. The intensity found on the nose did not follow through to the palate quite as clearly or intensely. Still, it was an enjoyable drink at a pretty good price!

 

Don’t forget to get a copy of The Essential Guide to Turkish Wine for the wine/travel/adventure lovers in your life (or for yourself!) before Christmas! The Essential Guide to Turkish Wine is available globally from Amazon and in Istanbul from TheQuirkyCork.com, La Cave, Comedus, Mahzen 26, Santé Wine & More, Mensis Mahzen, Dekante, Wayana, Homer Kitap Evi, Minoa, and Mephisto. 

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