Description
Karanika, Méthode Traditionnelle Extra Bru “Cuvée Spéciale”
If you’ve been following our Daily Discoveries of late, you’ve probably noticed we have a bit of a crush on Greek wines. Ok, perhaps it is more of an obsession. Whether it is red, white, or rosé, there’s a multitude of delicious options now. But sparkling? No, Greek bubbles had not impressed us much, until a bottle of Karanika was set on the tasting table recently. Consider our minds blown! Here was a bottle that was more elegant, complex, and downright fabulous than any sparkling wine we had tasted, outside of Champagne, all year. Indeed it was actually better than a few real-deal Champagnes we tasted alongside it. Of course, the Greeks already know this: If you go to any top-tier restaurant there, the only sparkling wine on the list is often Karanika. So we’re beyond thrilled to introduce you to this luxurious, revelatory, effervescent experience. Check it out!
Domaine Karanika was founded in 2006 by Dutch couple Laurens Hartman and Annette van Kampen, in the Northern Macedonia region of Amyntaio. Laurens’ mother’s side of the family is Greek Vlach, aka Aromanian, and that is where the name Karanika comes from. Laurens was actually trained as a vigneron in Champagne, which is why French methods and language permeate their passion project. But Laurens and Annette were both highly successful professionals in the publishing industry when they decided to leave it all behind and to a cold, desolate, yet ruggedly beautiful corner of Greece. Why Amyntaio, also known as Amyndeo? Because you need a crisp, cool, continental climate to produce high-acid grapes for sparkling wine. Also, this region has a high percentage of limestone in the soils, another Champagne-esque feature. But finally, it was Laurens’ belief that Greece’s most noble red grape variety, Xinomavro, grown in this unique terroir could produce world-class wines. Turns out he was right!
With a long, relatively cool growing season, Xinomavro has the ability to produce fruit that is perfectly ripe yet still bursting with bright acidity. The “Cuvée Spéciale” is 90% Xinomavro, and then Laurens adds 10% Assyrtiko for its saline, mineral component. Though not native to this part of Greece, it nevertheless thrives in the cool, high-elevation vineyards. Farming is the centerpiece of the estate. They have been fully organic since the beginning, and are now practicing biodynamics throughout the property. Nature is the determining factor in their process, moving wine via gravity and following the lunar calendar when bottling and disgorging. They set themselves an extremely high bar for quality, and somehow they’ve managed to surpass it in a surprisingly short amount of time.
After spontaneous fermentation in steel tanks, and aging for several months in those tanks, the “Cuvée Spéciale” is bottled and then spends 21 months in tirage on the fine lees before disgorgement. The result is a finely etched, well-structured sparkler that is loaded with red berries and boasts a luxurious, graceful texture. The easy comparison is to a top Grower Champagne from Bouzy or Ambonnay, but Karanika maintains its own delicious personality. Serve it at around 45 to 48 degrees, no colder, in an all-purpose stem and you’ll see what caused our team’s eyes to open wide: Crisp apples, wild raspberries, white cherries, honeysuckle, lemon curd, orange zest, and saline earth are all layered in this shimmering, rose-gold colored wine. Serve with the same dishes as you would any high quality Blanc de Noirs, or go traditional with Greek style grilled calamari. Even by itself we know you will be impressed, and then you’ll wish you had a second bottle!
