Άγιο Όρος (Ayio Oros)

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The winegrowing area of the Protected Geographical Indication Agion Oros Athos lies within the administrative boundaries of the Athos peninsula, with vineyards that generally extend alongside the sea or on hillside slopes up to an altitude of 400 metres.
• The vineyard soils are characterised as sandy-clay to clay-sandy, with sandy-loam patches in places, free from salinity problems and with high concentrations of iron, copper, and magnesium.
• Geologically, the Athos peninsula forms an extension of the Rhodope geological formation, with a predominance of metamorphic and crystalline-schist rocks such as gneisses, greenstones, limestones, and crystalline limestones-marbles, as well as igneous rocks such as granites, granodiorites, and ophiolites.
• Morphologically, the area is distinguished by steep slopes along the coastline, intense folding, and the presence of Mount Athos, which rises abruptly in a pyramidal form to over 2,000 metres (2,033 m).

• A special document constituting the first formal regulation of the wine trade on Mount Athos dates to 972 and governs the procedures for the commercialisation of wine within the boundaries of Athos.
• The traditional grape varieties long cultivated in the area are Limnio, Fokiano, Mavroudi, Roditis, and Muscat of Alexandria, while after 1990 international varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah were introduced.

• The white wines display a clear yellow colour with greenish highlights, or an intense golden-yellow when aged in oak barrels, with aromas of exotic and summer fruits, jasmine, citrus, and vanilla.
• The red wines display an intense red colour with blue-violet hues, aromas of red fruits, spices, dried fruits, and vanilla, with a structured body, a well-balanced palate, and soft tannins.
• The rosé wines display a pink to ruby, or lightly red, colour with blue or orange hues, aromas of red fruits, and are characterised by freshness, a well-balanced palate, and balanced acidity.

• The red varieties are cultivated on sites with the steepest gradients in order to achieve better drainage, a condition that allows for superior alcoholic and phenolic ripening.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Greece

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PGI-GR-A0873
• Official trade body site — Wines of Greece (EDOAO)