Ausàs Interpretación Wines – Mazi Greek Taverna KL
Words: Monica Tindall
Photos: Han Sen Hau
One of the highlights of my travels last year was visiting the most prestigious winery in Spain, Vega Sicilia. Not open to the public, a look inside is a much sought-after experience, one even those in the industry have difficulty accessing. You can imagine how thrilled I am to learn that former chief winemaker of Vega Sicilia, Xavier Ausàs, is visiting Kuala Lumpur! Tonight, we have the chance to dine at Mazi Greek Taverna with some hearty cuisine to pair with a vertical tasting of his latest project, Ausàs Interpretación.
Xavier Ausàs spent over 25 years at Bodegas Vega Sicilia, 17 as chief winemaker, before establishing his own project, Ausàs Bodegas y Viñedos, in 2016. He is celebrated for his meticulous approach to winemaking and his ability to craft elegant and complex wines. I message my exciting news to my girlfriend Alison who’s a somm with the Court of Master Sommeliers. She replies, “OMG, he’s one of the top five winemakers in the WORLD!”
Ausàs Bodegas y Viñedos is just down the road from Xavier’s former employer, so his in-depth knowledge of the Ribera del Duero region and tempranillo grapes comes in mighty handy. Ausàs’ philosophy centres around allowing the fruit and terroir to express themselves authentically through a fine selection of grapes. His goal is to make the powerful elegant. He likens the results to two guys who visit the gym. One is just bulky (powerful), while the other is svelte and ripped (like himself, he jokes). I like him already. He surely knows his stuff but is approachable and has a good sense of fun. “Freshness, purity, elegance and power” is his mantra.
Inevitably, the conversion turns to Vega Sicilia and questions around the similarities and differences with Ausàs. Xavier kindly responds that the comparison is natural. He has an unwavering respect for Vega but sees Ausàs as an evolution of himself. He’s the same winemaker but maturing.
The Ausàs Interpretación label is typically aged in French oak barrels for extended periods, and the wines are highly regarded for their balance, finesse, and ability to age gracefully. The grapes in this series are sourced from several top-quality vineyards, demonstrating the robust yet graceful character of the tempranillo grape from this region of extreme heat and cold. All of the wines we try tonight have scored 95 points from critics, and we try yearly vintages beginning in 2021 and ending in 2018.
The vertical tasting offers a unique opportunity to explore the impact of vintage variation. By tasting multiple years, we can gain insight into the role of climate, terroir, and winemaking decisions in shaping the final product. Over the evening, and with expert guidance, we notice subtle differences in aroma, flavour, and texture, as well as the impact of aging on the overall character of the wine.
Ausàs Interpretacion KL Wine Dinner
The five-course menu paired with four Ausàs Interpretación wines at Mazi Greek Taverna is provided for an incredibly reasonable price of RM328++ per person. Under the Tinkermen Collective, Mazi benefits from direct wine imports, cutting out the middle man and allowing guests to try some spectacular drops for value-for-money prices. The head of the group, Yin How Wong, is a legend in our eyes. With decades in the Malaysian wine import business and currently studying his Master of Wine (only 10% ever pass!), he is a leader in his field. If you’d like to be in the know with such incredibly reasonably priced wine dinners of this calibre, join the group by emailing [email protected] or messaging @vintry_malaysia on Instagram.
Five-Course Menu with 4 Wines at Mazi
Mazi’s head chefs have crafted a robust range of dishes to pair with the four vintages of Ausàs Interpretracion. Greek food and Ausàs Interpretación wines are perfect partners in that they both emphasise fresh, alive flavours and quality ingredients. Greek food’s bold flavours and rich textures pair well with the Spanish wines’ complexity, fruit, and acidity.
Ausàs Interpretación 2021 (Robert Parker 95 points)
We begin with an appetiser trio – house-made pita bread with hummus, Mazi’s avgo bread piped with roasted eggplant, and zucchini flower stuffed with feta cheese, citrus, avocado and nuts. We’re big fans of Mazi’s menu and have written several articles about the delicious recipes, so I’ll focus more on the guest wines in this piece. The latest vintage, Ausàs Interpretacion 2021, gives a good impression, coming across as round and fresh with youthful fruitiness. It has vivid red fruit notes with hints of herbs and a bit of oak. Although it is quite a pleasant sip right now, it will likely evolve into an even more lovely wine over the coming years.
Ausàs Interpretación 2020 (Robert Parker 95 points)
The following course of beef short rib soup and orecchiette with red beans, oregano, cumin and herb oil is possibly one of the prettiest soups I’ve come across. The short rib is wrapped in leaves, sitting in the middle of the plate, waiting for our spoons to break it apart and mix it all together. Its wine mate, Ausàs Interpretacion 2020, comes from a somewhat challenging harvest in Ribera del Duero. Growers had to work with untimely rainfall and mildew. However, Xavier says testing times are precisely where fine winemakers can shine with consistency. Although output was low, through careful selection of grapes, the Ausàs Interpretación 2020 resulted in a very approachable wine – bright fruit flavours, light oak influences, and, once more, a well-balanced and elegant drop. Adversity is only an opportunity to show your character, says Xavier.
Ausàs Interpretación 2019 (Robert Parker 95 points)
The Greek classic, grilled oktapodi, is next, along with fava espuma, capers, pickled shallots, black olive sand, and pimentón. The smokey char from the grill works wonderfully with tempranillo. In fact, one of the most dream-worthy pairings you’ll ever come across for this wine is baby lamb (lechazo) fired over sarmiento, the twigs from the very grape vines from which tempranillo is made. If you’re a Spanish wine lover and have not yet tried this combination, put it on your bucket list now! The Ausàs Interpretación 2019 is slightly more perfumed and elegant than the preceding wines, with aromas of red fruit, floral notes, and a touch of chocolate and spice. The palate is smooth and balanced, with ripe tannins and a long, satisfying finish.
Ausàs Interpretacion 2018 (Robert Parker 95 points)
The meal crescendos with braised veal shank in rich giouvetsi (meat, tomato and pasta stew) with parmesan and microgreens. It’s partnered with orzo, a slippery fine pasta resembling the form of fat Japanese short-grain rice. I love the texture of this grain, but the meal has been generous (as are most wine dinners curated by Yin How), and our stomachs are reaching capacity. Han Sen taps out but ensures that not a bite goes to waste by requesting his leftovers to-go. But rest assured, not a single drop of wine is left in our glasses. The Ausàs Interpretación 2018 has a balanced profile with ripe dark fruit, like cherries and currants, showcasing the impact of a warm vintage, complemented by subtle oak notes of vanilla and cedar. It’s well-structured with smooth tannins and a refreshing acidity.
Dessert
I chat with Xavier about his own evolution and the vertical pairing over our Milopita dessert – Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, mixed berries compote and vanilla ice cream. He has more analogies that his wine negotiant Roderick Hull is not so convinced are very PC. Roderick is having a lively conversation with Han Sen about board games but catches enough of our Spanish chatter to raise an eyebrow or two. Still, Xavier persists. The 2021 vintage, he notes, is akin to a young, exuberant Italian—full of energy and openly expressive. At the other end of the spectrum, the 2018 and 2017 vintages represent the same individual, now matured but more like a refined British gentleman—wiser and more experienced. I’m wondering if our part of the world will come into play as the wine ages further. Perhaps there’s a seasoned feng shui master embodying layers of complexity and poise on the horizon?
Reasons to drink Ausàs Interpretación wines: besides tasting darn good, what more reason do you need than the privilege of experiencing grapes cared for by the hands of legendary winemaker Xavier Ausàs?!
Get on the mailing list for some of Malaysia’s most reasonably priced and highest quality wine dinners by emailing [email protected] or messaging @vintry_malaysia on Instagram.
Mazi Greek Taverna
Unit A1 Taman Tunku, Off Jalan Langgak Tunku
Bukit Tunku, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Link to Mazi on Google Maps
@mazigreektaverna.my
Opening Hours
Daily: 11:30 am–3 pm & 5:30–10 pm
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