The winery of Aes Ambelis is back this year with a bigger selection of wines in its cellar and with some new interesting blends. Firstly, the good news: the winery is now complete and they accept visitors daily (on Sundays by appointment). As I wrote last year, the winery itself has one of the best designs that I have come across on the island.
The winery is now renowned for the consistency and stylistic coherence of its range.
Since 1995, it has been run by the magisterial Savvas Fakouskakis along with the original partner George Tripatsas and now offers a range of five wines. The annual production has reached the 180,000 bottles and the Aes Ambelis range can be found in a few five star properties as House Wine – the latest on the list is The Almyra in Paphos.
It was with great interest that I tasted last Sunday the ‘blessed wines by the ‘Saint of the vineyard’ as this is what Aes Ambelis means. It was also a relief to be able to try wines again after a bad case of summer flu where all I could taste were antibiotics.
The tasting
Aes Ambelis 2003 Xinisteri/Semillon, (11.9%) Approx £2.35
This is the first of the two white wines from the Aes Ambelis range. Typically it is a Xinisteri but an interesting blend with a Bordeaux grape variety Semillon. Still this is a refreshing wine from the 2003 harvest with a greenish-yellow colour – the green notes denoting the freshness and high acid levels of the wine
Lemons, lime and juicy yellow pears appear on the nose along with forward green and yellow flavours of tropical fruit and herby hints. The refreshing acidity can be felt on the palate with intense blends of dry lemon and grapefruit, which lingers until the end.
As with any Xinisteri based wine, serve well chilled at 9ºC. Food partners – Mediterranean food, especially salads, grilled vegetables and fried fish. I have tried this wine with zucchini blossoms filled with anari cheese and herbs. It was heaven.
Aes Ambelis Chardonnay 2002 (11.5%) Approx £4.00
This is a pleasant Chardonnay. Butter-yellow with fainted greenish lines. A fragrant pungent nose with hints of pineapple and honeyed citrus fruit, the more you swirl the glass the more this wine reveals also aromas of sweet flowers.
Vibrant palate, it drips with a well-defined citrus and peach acidity. This is a crisp wine, with a refreshing lengthy acidity. Always remember — a good Chardonnay, even in our hot weather, should be served at 11ºC. At this temperature then you can enjoy this wine in any seafood restaurant ordering a Coupe de crustacés. Not forgetting our barbecue nights try this with seared salmon or fresh tuna steaks. I have tried this with black pepper and lemon linguini with creamy seafood sauce and it works wanders. Pleasant Chardonnay indeed with age potential for a couple of years.
Aes Ambelis 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Maratheftiko, Mourvedre, (12.8%) Approx £2.40
Stylish red with a ruby red colour, full bodied. On the nose we ripe mouth-coating spice currants and blueberries with a hint of vanilla. Intense and characterful palate of forest fruit, cedar and spice box notes. Overall attractive and possesses a lasting finish. With this wine the wine maker really displays his skill in the of blending different grape varieties.
And we can ‘blend’ this wine with of Cabernet Sauvignon food partners. For instance mignon fillet of beef marinated in savoury mustard and herbs – on charcoal of course. To appreciate the aromas and the complexity of the palate serve this wine at 18ºC. This value for money wine has ageing potential for two more years where it will be interesting to follow the development of the wine in the bottle – stored properly.
Aes Ambelis Mataro N/V (12.8%) Approx £2.40
The newest label on the range of the winery and the second varietal. This wine is made with 100 per cent Mataro or Mourvedre the Côte du Rhône grape variety. No vintage is mentioned on this table wine.
Vivid violet in colour, nutmeg, loganberry and redcurrant fruit. Again vanilla plays a supportive role. Lighter style overall with soften fruit and spices on the palate and light tannins backbone. Needs time to developed and show clearly the varietal character.
Slightly chilled and served at 17ºC it can accompany the Sunday’s roast meat particularly lamb and pork. Also it can age for a couple of years.
Aes Ambelis Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (13%) Approx £4.00
Finally, this is the third varietal of Aes Ambelis winery, a Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was initially aged in new barrels made of French oak, followed by a long resting period in the bottle.
Deep inky red colour, youthful nose of plum fruit united with a scent of an Arabian bazaar full of spices. The rich, balanced palate has fresh blackcurrants and a firm structure underpinning the lush fruit. It is forward, full bodied, with juicy tannins. Ready to drink served at 18ºC. As with Aes Ambelis blend this wine will suit most of Cabernet Sauvignon food marriages. After tasting this wine accompanied my weekly barbecue and it was excellent partner with my T-Bone steak. Any grill on the spin will do fine, also most hard cheese. Probably one of the best Cabernets on the Island
To contact Aes Ambelis please call Tel 99635469 or 22991500
