Tuesday, February 21, 2012

What A (Ce)Bitch(e)!

Someone—anyone—I beg you please. Send me a good bottle of Cretan Vilana.

I first tasted her in Athens. It was a joyous evening among fancy friends in Psiri, a fashionable neighborhood that once witnessed my drunken crooning of "Besame Mucho," landing me in hot water with The Wife, Ph.D., and on a sidewalk near Exarcheia passed out napping among anarchists. The French Connoisseur handpicked a bottle, which unfortunately was unremarkable and received low scores from those in attendance.

I tried again a few weeks ago in company of The Wife, Ph.D., Cousins #2 and #6, Radio Free Cyprus and My Alternate Personal Skipper (MAPS). On the menu, a fish ceviche matched with homemade tree tomato aji and plantain chips I ordered from Amazon (the website, not the jungle) because The Wife, Ph.D., has placed a ridiculous ban on all kinds of frying in our kitchen. Like a 90-60-90 brunette model strutting her stuff all over the catwalk, the ceviche took center stage. The Cretan whites, however, were tame villains (pun intended) to the ceviche's super powers and fell flat on the runway.

By the way, if you're ever interested in cooking some Ecuadorian food, check out Laylita's. Pretty reliable English recipes of Ecuadorian classics.

2010 Lyrarakis Vilana (Crete, Greece) - Peach, lime and some melon on a pretty nose. However, this fails to translate to the palate as it is very light, a bit flat and quite short and could have benefited from brighter acidity. Maybe it's past its prime (i.e. meant to be drunk real young just like Cyprus rosés) and I should have procured a 2011. 80/100.

2010 Boutari Kretikos (70% Vilana and 30% Other Cretan Varieties) - Some wild herbs and peach in terms of bouquet but even emptier to the palate than the Lyrarakis. Did not feel very fresh. 78/100.

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