Domaine Glinavos “Zitsa Brut”

EPIRUS , Greece |  2018

What better way to start the New Year than with this great sparkling wine from Greece.

Lefteris Glinavos was part of the wave of boutique vintners that were instrumental in changing the entire face of Greek wine‐making during the 1970s. Lefteris chose Bordeaux for his education, and after completing his studies he traveled back to his native Epirus in 1978 to begin Domaine Glinavos in the hopes of marrying the traditions of his local wine producing region with the best of what, at that time, modern wine‐making could achieve. Now, Domaine Glinavos is under the supervision of Lefteris’s son, Thomas Glinavos.

They own 20 hectares of vines in multiple plots sprinkled among the high perches of the appellation of Zitsa in Epirus. Domaine Glinavos is in a semimountainous region whose overall feel is more reminiscent of Austria or Switzerland than Mediterranean Greece. Limestone soils and mother‐rock create finely delineated wines of bright acidity and lacy minerality. Cold winters and cooler summers produce wines that struggle to reach 12.5% ABV. Working with the indigenous varieties of Debina, Vlahiko, and Bekari, the domaine’s objective continues to be to showcase the best of what these specific varieties can achieve when handled with the care and attention afforded to the other great regions and varieties of Europe. 

The Zitsa Brut is a Champagne method sparkling made entirely of the Debina varietal, which is often noted for its naturally high acidity and mineral impression from the limestone-influenced soils. Perfectly suited for sparking wine, Debina also takes its personality from the surrounding woodlands and mountain flora, making it a true terroir wine.

The 2018 Zitsa Brut shows bright aromas of green apple, lemon peel, and white flowers, followed by a taut, finely textured palate of citrus zest, underripe pear, and saline mineral notes, with a subtle bready undertone, a restrained mousse, and a clean, dry, chalk-tinged finish driven by high natural acidity. This is delicious as an aperitif, but also can work with with freshly shucked oysters or a feta spread on top of grilled bread.