Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Tuesday 1 November 2016

Circle of Wine Writers Greek Seminar with Afshin Molavi (Manousakis Winery, Crete)

 Afshin Molavi
(above and below)

  The assembled tasters 

The line up of the bottles @The Naval Club, Mayfair, London


Today the Circle of Wine Writers was treated to a fascinating and opinionated presentation of Greek wines by Afshin Molavi, sommelier and wine-maker at the Manousakis Winery in Crete. Afsfin, who was born in Sweden, and whose father is Persian, showed 16 wines – a judicious blend of his own along with a choice of other Greek wines that he considers interesting. The tasting was held at the Naval Club, Hill Street in London's Mayfair.

Here are my favourites from the 16:

Whites:
2015 Vasaltis Winery, Assyriko, PDO Santorini – approx 18€ retail
Attractively crisply citric with good mouth-filling texture and length. Afsfin – "Chablis on steroids!"

2015 Manousakis-Nostos Winery Vatolakos, Roussanne, Chania, Crete
An good, rich and complex Roussanne from Afshin. 18€

Reds 
2013 Domaine Mercouri, Avgoustiatis, Ilia, Peloponissos
Delicate, ripe, spicy red. 20-22€.

2013 Manousakis-Nostos Winery, Mourvèdre, Vatolakos, Chania, Crete
Certainly one of my top wines of this tasting – powerful with warm spicy nose, opulent texture, along with tannins, power and length. 35€ 

Sweet wine
2008 Domaine Diamantis "Liastos", Xinomavro, Moschomavro, Nigrikiotiko, PGI Siastista, Makedonia
Made from sun-dried grapes before spending five years in wood – amber colour, light tangerine aromas and flavour, lovely delicacy and finesse. No cheap – 45€ for half bottle.  

 Colin Hampden-White (CWW Chair) 
moves to ward off a marauding paparazzi

 A quizzical Mr Steven Spurrier 

 Patrick Eagar

 William Wilson 
 Helena Nicklin


 Miyoko Stevenson

 Neville Blech
 Christos Ioannou


  Helena organising the video
           

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