Le Prieuré de Saint-Céols was founded just 20 years ago on the remains of an old monastic convent of Benedictine monks of the 13th century by Pierre Jacolin. In 2020, the baton was passed on to Marie and Joseph de Maistre who took over the estate and cultivate it with organic farming principles and great care. For 15 years, no herbicides have ever been...
Facing such a great terroir you can only stand in awe and respect. The effort to minimize interventions is aimed at enhancing the potential of the old vineyards. They seem to unfold their "memories" in the wine, giving great complexity and absolute balance. Without excesses, but full-bodied and rich, with charmingly ripe fruit along with multiple aromatic...
The spicy, salty, orange-tinged character of Tradition Rose is a departure from a mainstream world that wants rosés in a certain style. The almost forgotten Tibouren, an ancient grape of the Mediterranean basin, is a "champion" for the estate and covers over 50% of the total plantings. In Cuvee Tradition it constitutes 90% of the blend and after maturing...
Etna Bianco was first put into production in 2005 and Carricante is the dominant variety in the blend with a percentage of 70% depending on the year. Carricante is a grape defined by the minerality and saltiness of the terroir. A feast of other field-blends such as Catarratto, Grecanico and Inzolia make up the rest of the wine. Etna's whites are still...
Nerello Mascalese gives excellent rosés and Marco de Grazia's Etna Rosato from younger vines in different parts of the estate is a rosé that is etched in the memory. A real firework of intensity and minerality, it's not unlike the playground and candied fruit that comes to mind when it comes to rosé wines. With pulsating energy and tensions, salty...
Spyros Chrysos' contemporary perspective on the traditional wine style of Santorini keeps alive the interest in Nychteri, a wine that modern legislation has chosen to treat quite differently from its historical past. Taking as a starting point two excellent vineyard plots in the area of "Loura" in the village of Pyrgos (perhaps the most famous vineyard on...
