Page 9 - Code de Vino, #3/10, s/a 2009

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Code de Vino Wine Club
Code de Vino #3
Code de Vino #3
A Discussion with Yanis Karakezidi
8 Code de Vino Wine Club Code de Vino #3 Code de Vino #3 Code de Vino #3 A Discussion with Yanis Karakezidi 9 9 9
A Discussion with Yanis Karakezidi

Monument to protection of vines from cutting-down
Monument to protection of vines from cutting-down
by the Communist party in 1985 In Yanis' cellar
by the Communist party in 1985
In Yanis' cellar
— How many years have you been making wine? don’t want to impress either my German or French colleagues, I
— All my life. This is my 41st season (interview dated 2008). just love what I do, just like my grandfather did, just on a larger
scale.
— Here?
— No, we were working out in Novorossiysk, in Kabardinka. I — What grape varieties do you use?
decided to settle down here because this region has a superior — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Gris to a certain extent.
terroir. And one local variety, Saperavi, to name the reds. As for
whites, I use Chardonnay and Müller-Thurgau. In Germany, it’s
— How many years have you devoted to this particular considered quite a plain variety, almost a hybrid, but I’ve had
place now? great success with mine since the 90s. Riesling also.
— More than 20. But that’s not a long time at all.
— If we compare different grape varieties, I’d say Cabernet
— What vines do you use for your wine? Sauvignon has the ability to take right what it needs from
— I only use European clones. Here is our Chardonnay with the soil. Unlike Merlot, which just adds body to the wine.
French clones (pointing at it). I lowered the fermentation — That’s why I can’t stress enough the importance of
temperature to 12 degrees to slow the process down. Plus I assemblage, or blending.
took a risk and didn’t rack it off. I’m content with how it turned
out. Even our competitors have shown their appreciation for our — But that’s only if we’re talking about the work of an
Chardonnay 2003. expert...
By the way, today I visited my place in Anapa where I develop — Right, let’s assume we are (laughs)... I’m sure that making
and manage my winery, of the cascade variety, without wine from just one variety is boring. You can’t get a full-bodied
turbulence or pumps, just like how it used to be in the past... to wine like this with a solid structure and balance. I like to have a
avoid any chances of oxidation. It’s every winemaker’s dream. I palette of 500 barrels from different slopes at my disposal.