Why do we love it?
Le Sang de la Pierre of Aivalis Winery is one of the wines that you are looking forward to tasting every year! The wine that creates chaos wherever it appears, the one you always want to have in your cellar and you never want it to end, it has just arrived and we cannot describe our joy. Also, rumor has it that Le Sang de la Pierre 2019 of Aivalis Winery, is the best of all times!
The small vineyard at Traganes, in the unexplored side of Nemea, vindicates Christos Aivalis for his persistence at the origin of the fruit and expression of terroir. The ground is full of pebbles. Vines have become rough, both by the rugged terrain and by the complete absence of any fertilizer for at least 14 years. Taking care of this vineyard, as if it was his child, Christos succeeds and gets, perhaps, the best and most concentrated grapes for the best Agiorgitiko in Nemea.
His son Sotiris is in charge of everything else. Returning from his studies in Beaune of Burgundy, he brought a different style to the winery. The Le Sang de la Pierre is his child. From the ideal time of harvest to the name and the last detail, Sotiris took all the decisions and did all the work. He knew that if things did not go well, he would have to answer to the most demanding and devoted winemaker in Nemea, his father. Allowing 5% of the fruit to dry up in the vine (a method used in Burgundy), the concentration of the fruit reaches majestic levels. The fermentation took place in large, French 500lt oak barrels to mitigate contact of wine with wood. It remained there for 14 months, acquiring a complex, impressive, and velvety character. After that, it was bottled with one of the most beautiful labels on the Greek wine market.
Every year his father is more and more proud of his son but also of the epic, case - study Agiorgitiko they create.
Its name means the Blood of the Stone. It happened by chance in the vineyard, from a drop of juice that dripped on the stones and painted them with the deepest purple color. It is definitely one of the most suitable wine names we have come across.
If you want to listen to us, get at least 3 bottles: one for now and another 2 for the following decade.
Tastes Like
Deep, opaque purple color with violet shades.
Intense nose, with dense fruit dominating. Sour cherry, cherry jam, blueberry and juicy raspberry for beginning. Plum and wild strawberry jam follow. Then spices are making theis appearance. Notes of cinnamon, vanilla and pepper. The barrel is perfectly integrated leaving the most "tender" character of the Agiorgitiko to shine: violet and red rose are present in the background of the dense spiced fruit. Chocolate, smoke and cedar complement the uniquely complex bouquet that is constantly evolving.
It’s full bodied but elegant yet, with medium, silky tannins and perfectly balanced acidity. Generous flavors of ripe cherry, candied cherry, plum, blueberry and raspberry are complemented by vanilla, cinnamon and pepper. Tea, sage, violet and lavender appear after a while. The long-lasting chocolate aftertaste will make you look forward to the next sip.
