Winemaker Notes
Deep, crimson color with violet hues. Ripe red fruit on the nose with aromas of spice. Flavors similar to those on the nose with mild tannins and balanced acidity.
Pair with rich, red, roasted meats or mildly flavored cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Mm is a 75/25 blend of Mandilaria and Mavrotragano aged for 18 months in used French oak. It comes in at 14% alcohol. When last seen, this was lovely and filled with promise, but another 15 months or so in the bottle has brought it around surprisingly quickly. The tannins now are soft and mostly resolved, and the structure seems not quite as distinguished as I once thought. The wine, though, is still fresh and perfectly balanced. It's a pleasure to drink and quite delicious, fruity, but the fruit is always lifted on the finish. It is now in a great place to drink. It should hold well for several more years, at least. We'll take that in stages, but it's worth noting that it is drinking perfectly now.
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Wine Enthusiast
A blend of two indigenous red wine grapes, Mavrotragano and Mandilaria, this burgundy-hued pour has a tart nose with cranberry and tangerine aromas. There’s pleasant acidity on the palate, and the bold tannins that can overpower some warm-climate reds have been softened by careful winemaking that includes stainless-steel vinification followed by several months in French oak. The resulting wine is bold but balanced, and would be an excellent partner for lamb, beef or roasted root vegetables.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
