How can we introduce visitors to G. Kokotos Estate’s profile?
It has been over forty years (since 1980) when childhood memories of the parental estates paved the way for the Georgios Kokotos family to leave urban life and return to nature. This decision will bring life to an 80-acre estate on the northeastern slopes of Penteli mountain near the community of Stamata. Soon, the first vines will begin to bear fruit and spread out in the mountainous terrain of Penteli, where the location is not only enchanting for tourists but also favors viticulture, since it has “access” both to the basin of Attica and to the northernmost region of the island of Evia. These two elements shape the diversity of the wines of the Estate, which reciprocate for the care of the family by gaining the love of wine lovers everywhere.
Today the estate includes in addition to the 70-acre vineyard, an olive grove of two hundred olive trees, a model beehive of twenty two-level hives, a chicken coop, and a 2-acre vegetable garden. At the same time, the chapel of St George Methistis (= “the imbiber”), in the abundant green of the vineyards of the G. Kokotos Estate, offers visitors a place of reverence and contemplation.
What should visitors expect to experience in G. Kokotos Estate?
For those who seek more than just a visit to a vineyard, the G. Kokotos Estate is the answer to their quest. There, they will enjoy a complete experience of life in nature with organic crops, vines, and olives, a vegetable garden and beehives, which create a farm image and bond with the other buildings that surround the wine tasting activities.
Schools and groups of wine lovers have the opportunity to be guided and live these experiences that the urban way of life tends to diminish and quite often, sculpture exhibitions, book presentations, and various social and professional events, are hosted in the outdoor and indoor facilities.
TOURS:
Simple guided tour Price: €10,00 / person Duration: 60 min Includes: Walk throughout the estate (olive grove, vegetable garden, beehive, vineyard, and winery)
Guided tour & Tasting of 4 wines Price: €25,00 / person Labels: Savatiano, Assyrtiko, Rose, Cabernet Sauvignon Accompanied by a variety of cheeses and cold cuts
Guided tour & Tasting of 6 wines Price: €40,00 / person Labels: Savatiano, Barrel Fermented Savatiano, Gewurtztraminer, Rose, Agiorgitiko, Kokotos Estate Accompanied by a variety of cheeses and cold cuts
Tasting of 7 White wines (no guided tour) Price: €40.00 / person Accompanied by a variety of cheeses and cold cuts
Tasting of 3 Red wines (no guided tour) Price: €30.00 / person Accompanied by a variety of cheeses and cold cuts
Vertical tasting of Kokotos Estate (6 harvests) Price: €200.00 up to 5 persons Accompanied by a variety of cheeses and cold cuts |
• Guided tour with wine tasting can last from 90 minutes to 2.5 hours, depending on the selected tasting package.
• For groups the above prices vary and for the exact cost, direct contact with the estate is required.
ACCESS: The Estate is easily accessible by car. Alternatively, by bus, the nearest station is that of Agios Stefanos, with a starting point from Larissis Station. Taxi use is required from Agios Stefanos, at a cost of about 5.00 euros. (Stamata, Attica, ZIP 14575)
OPENING HOURS: G. Kokotou Estate can only accept guests by appointment, all days of the week from 10:00 to 17:00. |
CONTACT:
Telephone: +30 2108145113 • Email: [email protected] • Website: www.ktimakokotou.gr
Which two labels should visitors take with them, as a reminder of their visit?
Rosé “Thieving Magpie” and the estate’s flagship, red Kokotos Estate.
“Thieving Magpie” is a rosé dry wine marked P.G.I. Attica. Vines from Merlot (70%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) varieties grow under the Attic sun at 450m altitude in the private vineyards of the estate. The grapes are collected manually and placed in a cooling chamber for one night. Skin contact for 3 hours follows, the wine stays with lees for a month, followed by bâtonnage for two weeks. All these will give an elegant result with a bright salmon color. The bouquet is dominated by tropical fruits and aromas of blueberries, wild strawberry, and cherry, complemented by subtle hints of vegetation. The volume-balanced mouth and the long-lasting aftertaste compose the ideal taste combination with foods cooked with olive oil, vegetable pies, mushroom risotto, and Asian flavors, but this does not exclude its consumption as an aperitif.
The red dry Kokotos Estate is the blending of Cabernet Sauvignon (90%) and Merlot (10%) and is marked P.G.I. Attica. The grapes are collected by hand from estate’s private vineyards (450m altitude) and placed in a cooling chamber for one night. The extraction lasts 20 days, while the maturation 25 months in French oak barrels. After this period, the wine is bottled without any additional processing and aged for another 12 months in the bottle. The result is an exuberant wine with a deep purple color and vivid highlights. Dense aroma with a complex bouquet of ripe black fruits, berry, sour cherry, gooseberry, and plum accompanied by notes of oak, vanilla, spices like black pepper, cedar, and dark chocolate. Its taste is robust, filled with round tannins and a long fruity aftertaste. It especially loves rich red meats and ripe cheeses, while it can age for another 10-15 years.
What are the highlights of the wider region that visitors should not miss?
Penteli and the surrounding area host several places of religious worship that give shelter to specific holy relics and are open to the public, such as the Holy Monastery of the Annunciation of Virgin Mary and the Holy Monastery of St. Ephraim.
They also hide places where people with a positive or negative role in history have lived and acted. More specifically, there rests Sophie de Marbois-Lebrun, a philhellene American-French daughter of a French diplomat and wife of the Duke of Plakentia (Piacenza) – a city in northern Italy conquered by Napoleon in the 18th century, who bore the title Duchess of Plakentia (or Plaisance). Her action focused on strengthening the liberation struggle of the Greeks with a great economic and social contribution during the first years of the consolidation of the Greek state, during a period of great political unrest. Also, the visitors can get an idea of the modern Greek history since in the wider area is the German military cemetery Dionysou – Rapentozis 1939 – 1945, one of the two cemeteries where the graves of German soldiers who lost their lives in Greece during World War II are located.
For lovers of hiking, there is the lake of Marathon with beautiful paths around it. It is an artificial lake created to collect water for the water supply of Athens and was formed by the construction of the Marathon Dam at the confluence of the ravines Haradros and Barnabas, a few kilometers from the town of Marathon. At the same time, Penteli allows daring visitors to raise their adrenaline in the climbing field “Sympligades“. It is an abandoned quarry at an altitude of 900m, with vertical sides of marble of different degrees of difficulty, which was first spotted in 2000 by two climbers and who, due to its peculiarity, gave it this special name.
Finally, a stop in the well-known taverns of Stamata should not be missed, since the trip of every wine lover requires to be accompanied not only by great wine but also by delicious food!
Για Ελληνικά Πατήστε Εδώ| ⚠ Winery’s services along with prices and operation hours might change without previous notice. Please contact the estate upon visiting. |
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