Domaine Mercouri 2005

A few weeks ago, while staying at my brother's ski house, I had a Greek wine that I can actually say I liked this time.  If you remember, I posted another greek wine that was terrible, so I didn't know what to expect this time.  The bottle had been opened the night before we arrived so it had a little extra time to breathe.  The 2005 Vin De Pays des Letrinon is made from a blend of Refosco, an Italian grape, and Mavrodaphne, a Greek grape.  The winery was founded in 1864 by Theodoros Mercouri in southern Greece where he planted Refosco vines that he had carried over from Friuli, Italy.  Following his death in 1897, his son Leonidas built the area's first modern winemaking facility which remained in operation until 1955.  Between 1955 and 1989, the grapes from this estate were sold by Leonidas's daughters (Maria and Kate) to other winemakers.  In 1990, under the new management of Kate's two sons Vassilis and Christos Kanellakopoulos, the entire facility was rebuilt.  In 1992, part of the vines were also replanted. Today, instead of selling their grapes, they are making some nice wines.  This 2005 vintage has a nice aroma of dried cherries and plums along with some leather and spices.  On the palate, the medium bodied wine had a dark cherry and black raspberry flavor along with a mild white pepper and a hint of vanilla.  This relatively dry wine had medium acidity but the flavors were relatively short lived.  The tannins were very mild.  Overall, it was an enjoyable every-day type red wine that could be paired with white meats or a pasta dish.  If you are looking for something out of the normal grape varieties, give this one a try.  I believe it retails for about $20.