Tsiakkas Xynisteri 2014

Tsiakkas Winery_ Cyprus

Tsiakkas Winery In the early twentieth century, when Nicolas Tsiakkas was riding his mule down to the plains from the Pitsilia mountains, carrying his full bodied wine, in his two sheepskin-made containers of wine, he never thought that his grandchildren would carry on the tradition with such a success. Although market demands, consumer tastes and wine making methods have changed since his time, the Tsiakkas family still produces wines from the same mountain vineyards, obsessed with quality, always keeping the legacy of the most famous wine maker of Pelendria village, alive. Showered by the warm Cyprus sun, and cooled by the Troodos forest breezes, the Pitsilia Vines are producing excellent varieties of grapes, highly suitable for wine production. It is for this reason that Pitsilia is the first vine producing area to be granted the permission for producing quality wines bearing the classification of appellation of origin. A few kilometers away from the Pelendri village, at an even higher altitude, the Tsiakkas Winery is located in a serene location surrounded by young Pine trees and the winery's vineyards. Built in a typical Cypriot architecture sheltered by the surrounding mountains, the winery maintains a well-organized cellar where the wine ages at excellent conditions. .   Xynisteri Grape Xynisteri (also spelled xynistery, xinisteri, xynisterin; Greek: ξυνιστέρι ή ξυνιστέριν) is an XynisteriGrape indigenous white grape ongrown Cy prus. Acc dingor to some estimates, 13% of Cypriot vineyards, or 500 hectares (1250 acres) on the south slopes of the Troodos mountain range are planted with this grape variety, a fact that makes Xynisteri the main white grape grown ofCyprus. Its clusters and berries are of medium size while it is known for its durability against wine diseases. It is used in the production of several local (mainly white) wines. Xynisteri is blended with Mavro grapes for the production of the Commandaria, a well known Cypriot dessert wine and it is also used for the production of the local spirit Zivania.

Tsiakkas Xynisteri 2014    The 2014 Xynisteri is unoaked and comes in at just 12.6% alcohol. This dry Xynisteri is crisp, fresh and tasty. It's a great summer white that refreshes and lingers on the palate, showing off its fruit and sunny demeanor. With grip on the finish, this doesn't leave a lot to chance. In its youth, it's just terrific and rather invigorating. It shows good concentration, too. It should hold nicely for a few years, but there is no reason to wait. 91 Points eRobertParker #224