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Similarly colored, the 2016 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc comes from a warmer terroir of pebbly and more loess soils and...
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97
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96
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The 2017 Ermitage le Meal Blanc starts with refined notes of crushed stone and pencil shavings that move into a...
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97-99 Is le Méal the most complex and complete lieu-dit on Hermitage, when considering both red and white wines? The...
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I was blown away by the 2020 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc, which is certainly the finest vintage of this cuvée I’ve...
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Brilliant all the way, the 2020 Hermitage Chante-Alouette Blanc is a white readers should snatch up. All Marsanne...
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Another blockbuster that savvy readers need to buy up, the 2012 Saint Joseph les Granits Blanc is a drop-dead...
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The white of the vintage in Saint Joseph is the 2014 Saint Joseph les Granits Blanc. Coming all from one of the top...
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Moving to the 2016s, the 2016 Saint Joseph Les Granits Blanc is beautiful, with lots of citrus blossom, crushed rock,...
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Quite possibly the finest white in the appellation, the 2020 Saint Joseph Les Granits Blanc is all Marsanne from what...
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The classic 2020 Hermitage Blanc from Sorrel is 100% Marsanne aged 18 months in barrel. It reveals a light gold hue...
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Deeper yellow than most 2021s. Aromas of pear, cashew and crème anglaise. Full-bodied and quite concentrated in the...
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Aidani Cortese Marsanne Mencia

One of the most ancient of the Greek grape varietals, Aidani has been cultivated on and around the Cyclades for millennia for its versatility and gently pleasing aromatic qualities. Wines made primarily with Aidani grapes tend to have a milder alcohol content than other classic Greek wines, and relatively low acidity. This makes Aidani wines a perfectly pleasant accompaniment to a wide range of traditional Greek foods, and equally pleasant to drink chilled at any time under the Greek sun. Nowadays, Aidani grapes are mostly likely to used as a blending grape, often being mixed with Assyrtiko grapes to balance out and mellow the acidity and high alcohol content found in them.

As a blending grape, the Aidani offers light, delicate floral tones, often reminiscent of a Muscat. On the island of Naxos, it has been traditionally blended with the Athiri grape to produce the island's signature sweet wine, Apiranthos, where the subtleties of the Aidani grape are really allowed to shine through. However, elsewhere in Greece you are far more likely to find the blend of these two distinctive grapes in dry white wines, where the Aidani is used primarily not for its flavor, but for its aroma and mellowing effect.

Additional Information on Greek Wines
Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?

The Cortese white wine grape varietal has been grown in and around south Piedmont, Italy, for at least five hundred years. Its delicate nature and moderate acidity have made it a favorite with people around the world, and it is most commonly served alongside the excellent seafood and shellfish dishes of the part of Italy it is traditionally grown in. Cortese grapes are easily identifiable by their lime and greengage flavors, and their generally delicate and medium bodied character. Cortese wines are also notable for their freshness and crispness, again, making them an ideal match for seafood. Whilst colder years often produce harsher, more acidic Cortese wines, practices such as allowing malolactic fermentation can solve any such problems and still produce delicious white wines made from this varietal.