Aged Dry Red Wine in Cyprus. The Art and Patience of the Salamiou Winemakers
- Eve Gratton
- Nov 26, 2025
- 5 min read
Standing on the foothills of Troodos and surrounded by terraced vineyards with cool mountain breezes, is the village of Salamiou that has been making wine for centuries. The Lagria winery is a family wine business, run by three cousins since 1991. Here, every bottle they produce tells a story of climate, soil and the steady patience required of the winemakers. To produce an aged dry red wine in Salamiou is not just about fermentation and maturation, it is about faith in time and a deep respect for the land.
What makes a Cypriot aged red wine special?
Cyprus enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year, yet Salamiou’s higher altitude at about 700 meters above sea level brings cooler nights that slow the ripening of the grapes. It is this combination of Mediterranean warmth and mountain freshness that gives the perfect foundation for crafting structured, age-worthy wines.
The soils around the village of Salamiou are dry limestone soils that produce small, concentrated grapes that are rich in tannins and acidity. These are the two essential ingredients for wines that are going to be aged. When the harvest begins in early autumn, the winemaker as he works is already envisioning how the wine might taste in ten or even fifteen years.
The winemaking process in Salamiou
The story of an aged Cabernet Sauvignon made in Salamiou, Cyprus, begins in the vineyard. Each bunch of grapes is carefully hand-harvested when they are perfectly ripe. The grapes are then gently crushed. Local yeasts are then added to the grape juice to commence the fermentation process – this is a nod to the centuries-old tradition that allows the natural character of the grapes to shine through.
Once the fermentation has been completed, the young wine is moved to large steel tanks for ageing. This is a vital stage as it shapes the wine’s structure and complexity. The wine is monitored carefully, which involves regular tasting, testing, waiting. When the wine is deemed ready, it is bottled and laid in the underground cellars. The cellars in Salamiou are cool and calm and the ageing process allowing time for the rough tannins to be transformed into silk and the wine’s bright fruitiness into layers of subtle flavour.
To age a dry red wine is to trust time. Over years, the success of aged dry red wine in Cyprus is testament to the art and patience of the Salamiou winemakers.
The role of time - what ageing really means
To age a dry red wine is to trust time. Over years, the wine evolves in both flavour and texture. Tannins which are those mouth-drying compounds from grape skins and seeds gradually soften as they bind with oxygen and acids mellow. The aromas of the dry red wine mature from those of fresh berries to dried fruit, tobacco, cedar and hints of leather.
Aged red wines from Cyprus often surprise drinkers with their balance of richness. The climate gives ripe fruit character, whilst the altitude imparts a distinctive freshness. This is why a ten-year-old dry Salamiou Cabernet Sauvignon can still taste vibrant, even though it has gained elegance and complexity.
2010 vs. 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon
Comparing a 2010 and 2017 dry Salamiou Cabernet Sauvignon side by side is like being introduced to two generations of the same family.
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon simply bursts with life. It is a deep ruby colour, its aroma full of blackcurrant, plum, with a hint of green pepper – these are the signature aromas
on the palate and they are powerful and youthful, with firm tannins and a bright acidity. This is a wine that promises to age beautifully, but even at this age pairs perfectly with grilled meats, Halloumi, a traditional Cypriot Tava (lamb casserole) or Kleftiko.
The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, in contrast, has had time to truly settle and develop. Its colour has turned from ruby to garnet and its aroma is rich with notes of dried cherry, tobacco, cedar, and even a hint of dark chocolate. The texture of this wine is smooth and rounded and the flavours are layered and lingering. Time has softened the edges of its taste, turning strength into sophistication. This is a wine for slow evenings and quiet conversation. This older wine pairs perfectly with Stifado (slow-cooked beef), or can simply be enjoyed on its own as an experience in itself.
Together, these two vintages tell the story of the same vineyard, the same soil and the same caring cousins’ hands, but they speaking in different voices from different periods in time.
The Science Behind Aged Red Wine
Aging wine is all about chemistry. Oxygen interacts with the wine through the tiny pores in the cork and this creates subtle changes over time. Pigments and tannins react and change the colour from purple to brick-red. Aromatic compounds evolve at the same time, creating earthy, nutty and spicy notes.
For Cypriot dry red wines, this natural transformation is achieved in perfect balance, resulting in moderate alcohol, fresh acidity and fine-grained tannins.
How to Taste and Compare Vintages
If you take the chance to taste both a 2010 and a 2017 dry Cabernet Sauvignon from Salamiou, take your time. The wine will be poured into wide-bowled glasses to allow it to breathe and the aromas to open. Decant the older vintage for 20 -30 minutes, the younger one could need a bit longer to soften.
Taste the younger wine and feel its vibrancy. Then move to the older vintage and note the calm, the integration and its sense of completeness. The contrast between the two is striking; one has energy and the other wisdom.
The taste of place - Salamiou’s unique terroir
Every sip of Salamiou wine carries the area’s landscape; the scent of wild thyme, the mineral echo of limestone soil and the touch of sea breeze from the south coast. These elements give Cypriot wines their distinctive identity. They are robust, yet refined and Mediterranean yet mountainous.
Visitors who come for wine tasting in The Lagria Winery in Salamiou often remark on this sense of place. In the winery’s cellar, with the scent of earth hanging in the air, tasting an aged Cabernet Sauvignon feels like stepping into the history of the village - one glass at a time.
The virtue of patience
In the fast pace of modern life, an aged red wine from Cyprus reminds us that good things take time to develop and teach us the importance of patience. An aged bottle of Lagria Cabernet Sauvignon represents not only the grapes from a long-ago harvest but also the patience, care, and quiet craftsmanship of its three makers.
For the Lagria winemakers of Salamiou, each vintage is a conversation with time, a dialogue between past and present, between human hands and the earth itself. For the drinker, it is the opportunity to taste that dialogue and to feel how time deepens, refines, and enriches this story in every glass.
