Commandaria redux

Commandaria Redux

text Matthew Stowell

photography LOUCAS STUDIO

Commandaria, the iconic Cyprus wine, is enjoying a comeback as a younger generation of progressive wineries apply their sophisticated knowhow to long-standing traditions – with impressive results.

Commandaria, the quintessential Cyprus wine, has the longest history of any wine in the world. Some claim 5,000 years, others argue 6,000, but one thing is certain: it’s a wine that in every sip embodies all that is generous, sunny, complicated, even holy – it’s the traditional communion wine – about the fiercely independent island nation. It is the one Cypriot wine you can always find most anywhere in the civilised world.

For thousands of years its basic method of creation has not changed, a method that since 1990 has been strictly regulated and controlled via government legislation. It must be made from only two local grape varieties, Xinisteri (white) and Mavro (red); the grapes must be from non-irrigated vineyards in one of the 14 Commandaria region villages on the southern slopes of the Troodos Mountains. The vines must be at least four years old and trained using the goblet method. The time of harvest and sugar level of the grapes are regulated by the Vine Products Commission; and the grapes are set out to tan in the sun for 7 to 10 days, depending on the increase in sugar content. Other restrictions mandate that Commandaria mature in barrels for at least two years, and it can be fortified or not, as long as the resulting alcohol level is 15 percent.

For many years, it was the large Cyprus wine producers, KEO, ETKO, SODAP and LOEL, that dominated the market in Commandaria with only a very few small vineyards making an effort to compete. In the past half a dozen years, however, there has been a resurgence of interest in Commandaria along with a fresh approach borne of a profound respect for its long rich tradition. Independent wine producers, such as Aes Ambelis, Tsiakkas, Kyperounda, Lambouri, Zambartas and Anama are improving upon and expanding the limits of a wine that the Greek poet Hesiod first praised with his pen in the 7th century B.C., calling it the Gift of Bacchus, Sire of Joy.

When we’re young, we try to escape the stigma of our heritage; we want to be international. But as we get a little older, we start to truly appreciate our own culture – and Commandaria is an icon of Cyprus culture.

Tsiakkas

Costas Tsiakkas summarises his journey to Commandaria: “When Marina and I started the winery, we were keen to produce the well-known French varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, etc, and we did well with these. But we gradually came to realise that there was greater value, and ultimately satisfaction, in exploring the possibilities of our own indigenous grapes – Maratheftiko, Xinisteri, Mavro, maybe Yiannoudi – and this led to an interest in creating our own Commandaria.”

The Tsiakkas Commandaria grapes are from single vineyards in Ayios Pavlos and Ayios Mamas with an emphasis on using Xinisteri. Costas is adamant about not fortifying the wine as he believes it changes its unique character. “Fortification (adding alcohol) is something foreign; it’s a copy-paste method from Portugal. The truly traditional Commandaria was never fortified.” He also favours a late harvest, fermentation at lower temperatures and aging it for 5 years in small barrels for greater control over the oxidation process. The result is a lighter-coloured, less sweet, finer Commandaria that exudes floral notes of quince rather than the more common heaviness of dried figs.

For Costas, the making of Commandaria is especially enjoyable. “When the grapes are just ready to be picked and you lay them in the sun, and you watch them slowly turn from light green to almost golden brown, it’s magic.”

The Tsiakkas family drinks its Commandaria cooled but not chilled (12°C -14°C), usually in the evening after dinner with sharp, aged cheese (cascavali) or blue cheese.

I don’t say that you pour Commandaria for a special occasion or event; I say that the opening of a bottle of good Commandaria is the event itself.

Kyperounda

“You cannot consider yourself a complete Cypriot winery until you produce a Commandaria. Commandaria is Cyprus. It contains all our history, our joys, our strife, our beautiful climate, our mountains and our sea,” says Minas Mina.

Kyperounda’s rendition, with its intense, complicated aroma and rich, multi-structured body, is made in a lighter, non-fortified, fresher style in an attempt to facelift the overall image of this most ancient of wines. The grapes are from Ayios Constantinos and Kalo Horio, and the last vintage was nearly 100% Xinisteri fruit. During the maturation period the temperature is strictly controlled, the wine ageing seven years in oak barrels before it is bottled. Minas makes Commandaria only in years in which all the conditions (rainfall, sunlight, soil conditions, temperature) for a top quality wine are met. This year, 6,000 bottles were produced with more than a third of them destined for the upscale market in the UK.

Minas believes: “The lifespan of Commandaria is almost limitless, making it a sound investment. I had the chance to experience a Commandaria that was at least 50 years old. It was discovered half-buried in a clay pot in the cellar of a very old house in Ayios Mamas. We extracted it and, because it was so thick, we diluted it 20% with additional well-aged Commandaria; the result was amazing. It had not been fortified, yet it was in excellent condition. And the taste was extraordinary!”

He always chills his Commandaria (10°C) and likes to accompany it with soft creamy cheeses, or dried fruit.

The idea is to oenologically and visually bring Cyprus’s most precious legacy into the 21st century.

Anama Concept

The professional team of jewellery designer Kristina Apostolou and oenologist Lefteris Mohianakis represents perhaps the boldest approach among the new avant-garde of Commandaria winemakers. Legally they cannot call their wine Commandaria, as they defy the strict rules that govern the making of the elixir: they harvest the grapes very late; and rather than pick the fruit even then, they break the stems to stop growth but leave the grapes hanging from the vine to dry for more than two months rather than 7-10 days. The fruit, indeed, is from one of the Commandaria villages, Zoopigi, but the Mavro variety dominates the finished product at 65-70 percent. The name Anama is a refinement of Kyprion Nama, the original name for Commandaria. The always passionate Lefteris says: “Why do we continue to designate this great Cyprus wine with a name given to it by foreign conquerors?” He is referring to the Knights of St John who during the Lusignan reign renamed the wine after their commanderie – or headquarters – at Kolossi.

For the dynamic young couple, branding is just as important as the wine itself. Each year a new conceptual identity, inspired by the overall character of that particular harvest, is expressed in a unique label. Natural materials – oak, copper, silver, and other precious elements – are employed, and each bottle bears its own hand-punched number on a silver disc. Their efforts have been rewarded with several medals from Decanter magazine and international design competitions.

For Lefteris, the perfect serving temperature for his product is 12°C - 14°C, and he most enjoys it with Cyprus Delight, dried fruits and nuts, or by itself with a good cigar.

What is particularly gratifying about the process is the interaction with the Commandaria region grape growers, who carry on a long tradition under very difficult conditions…

Aes Ambelis

Aes Ambelis released their first Commandaria for Christmas 2013, but already it has won a Gold Medal from Decanter magazine. And its elegant doily-like white label – twining grape vines among the famous Cypriot moufflon and other local wildlife – has won a prestigious European design award.

George says: “We decided to make Commandaria for two reasons: first, the fact that Commandaria is the most important wine historically produced in Cyprus; and second, for its great potential in the local and international market. A wine with such a profile deserves to be at the centre of our strategy as a winery.”

The grapes used are from the village of Doros, with a Xinisteri to Mavro ratio of 75/25, and the wine is then aged in red wine barrels for six to seven years, infusing this modern version of the traditional wine with a richly aromatic character. Unlike the other new Commandaria makers, Aes Ambelis’s product is fortified, though the resulting alcohol content is the regulation 15%.

“Every stage of our Commandaria process is done slowly, carefully and by hand. And for me,” says oenologist George Ktisis, “this makes it the most enjoyable of our wines to craft.” Production is a mere 4,000 bottles per year but in January, Aes Ambelis will begin exporting a good portion of that total to the expanding market for fine wines in China.

George Tripatsas likes his Commandaria only slightly chilled and prefers gorgonzola or blue cheese, syruppreserved walnuts or caramel-based desserts to accompany.