Nasiakos Moschofilero 2009

I just went to the Greek wine tasting at RSVP and was quite pleased with some of what I tasted. This wine -- The Nasiakos (producer) 2009 Moschofilero (grape variety) was one of the highlights for me. So I decided to come home, open a bottle, and write a review. Upon first opening this wine I noticed quite a bit of sulfur dioxide, which, in excessive amounts, gives me a kind of stinging feeling in my nostrils and sinuses when I smell the wine. Some aeration has reduced the sensation, but I still notice it faintly about 10 minutes after opening and pouring the wine. If I were serving this to people I would probably decant, as that often seems to help with this condition. Without digressing too much (when can I help it?), I feel the need to mention that there are sulfur compounds naturally present in all wines, even if none have been added. Also, for those who think they might have some kind of allergy to sulfur compounds, you are probably wrong. If you are able to eat dried fruit and a variety of fresh fruits without problems, you are not allergic to sulfites. If you are blaming a sulfite allergy on your headaches, you are not allergic to sulfites. Sulfur allergies give asthmatic symptoms, not headaches. So if you can eat raisins or apples without having trouble breathing, you're not allergic to sulfur. I hope I haven't been too brash in my partial explanation. I am usually much more polite in person, but writing to a faceless, nameless audience has given me the courage to vent my frustration that arises every time I hear someone tell me "I can't drink red wines because I'm allergic to sulfites" (whites generally have higher levels of sulfur dioxide than reds).

So, back to the wine. It's distributed by National and retails for about $11. The aromatic intensity is about medium. I'm getting pretty aromas of peach, nectarine (big time nectarine), flowers, and paraffin. I know this is a dry wine, but it smells sweet. If you've had much experience with Gewurtztraminer or Viognier you probably know what I am talking about. I'm also noticing subtle hints of bubblegum and baking spices. It does remind me of Gewurtztraminer, and I was told that the comparison is made often. The palate is quite a bit like the nose. As I mentioned, this wine is dry, meaning there is no residual sugar, but the flavor profile reminds me of sweet things. Again we've got medium intensity, and medium minus body. The acidity is also medium minus, which troubles me a bit as I think of trying to pair this with foods, though it would be great with a salad that might have a fruity dressing or a little fruit in it. The flavor profile is very much like the aromatic profile I described. There's a lot of fruit there and a strong floral element. The finish is quite long (medium plus) for a wine that isn't terribly intense flavorwise. I still notice the sulfur a bit and that is bothering me just a touch, but I assume that will continue to "blow off" (lessen) with more air. As it is now, I'm firmly into "good" territory, and bordering on "very good", with the excess sulfur holding it back just a hair. I don't smell or taste the sulfur, which can often come across similarly to a burning match, but I feel it in the back of the throat a little as well as in the nostrils. I suspect that if I had chilled the wine this element might not be noticeable. I didn't pick up on it at the tasting at all. That adds up to 84 points in my book, making this a definite buy. I'm glad I got 2 bottles. I can see me going through a fair amount of this wine this summer, especially when I want to sip a little wine in the sun and I'm not eating anything with it. There's a lot of wine out there. Please don't drink the same old stuff this summer when you can find unique, fun bottles like this one.