MAVRODAPHNE IN 5'!
General info
Mavrodaphne is a red variety that gives either dry or dessert wines. PDO Mavrodaphne of Patra is a dessert wine that must contain at least 51% Mavrodaphne (the rest is raisins) and has matured in an oak barrel of up to 1000 liters capacity for at least 1 year. Mavrodaphne from Kefalonia differs from Patra as it is the smallest clone of Mavrodaphne. Sweet PDO wines from Kefalonia are darker and with fuller body comparing to those from Patra. In addition, Kefalonian wines contain no Corinthian raisins. Although it is forbidden to indicate the variety in dry wines, winemakers do not abandon the production of dry Mavrodaphne. And this dry version has already shaped its own upward course. These are wines with high concentration, complexity and aging potential.
History
Mavrodaphne counts over a century of history! In 1854, Gustav Claus settled in Achaia, creating the Achaia Clauss winery. The first bottling of sweet Mavrodaphne by Claus was made in 1873, who created a dessert wine with many similarities to Port. The "magical" recipe was recorded and rescued until today.
Behind Mavrodaphne there is a romantic story. Gustav had a very beautiful fiance, called Daphne, who had black hair and eyes. She died at a young age and so he baptized the variety, in her honor, Mavrodaphne. The most cynical, of course, believe that Mavrodaphne got its name from the black color of the grapes and the laurel aromas that it has.
Characteristics
Dry Mavrodaphne has medium to full body, moderate acidity and tannins and deep purple color in the glass. It uniquely combines the density of fruit (plum, cherry, cherry) with vegetation (eucalyptus, laurel, sage) on a background of chocolate and coffee. It benefits from maturation in oak barrel by highlighting its sweet, velvety character. Additionally, it is a variety that loves aging and withstands time by acquiring aromas of ink, tar and tea.
The sweet version is dominated by the aromas of plum, raisin, fig, coffee, chocolate, cinnamon and walnut. The color is clearly more "broken" and moves towards the ruby-garnet palette, depending on its "age". A Mavrodaphne from Patra can be forgotten in the cellar for over 20-30 years with seductive results.
Combination with food
Rich, slow cooked meats such as wild boar stew, pork with plums and beef stew with spices will go perfectly with a dry Mavrodaphne. But even more sophisticated dishes such as a pepper - crusted fillet, or a pork tenderloin with sweet wine sauce (ideally Mavrodaphne) will enchant your taste buds accompanied by a Mavrodaphne.
Mavrodaphne dessert wines are great with any type of chocolate or coffee based dessert (tiramisu, chocolate souffle, brownies, mocha mousse etc.). If you prefer to finish your dinners with a cheese board instead of a dessert then Mavrodaphne is your ideal wine, since it accompanies uniquely, spicy cheeses like Stilton, Roquefort and Gorgonzola!
We could go on for hours, but we said in 5 '!
Eva Markaki
Wine Geek
