Greece

• Santorini

Greek whites and Assyrtiko specifically are fate becoming some of my favorite summer white wines.  At $17, this is fairly priced and drinking well right now.  Light silvery gold in color.  The nose is creamy vanilla with some lemons.  Also plenty of smokiness.  It is a big nose and while I presume this saw no oak, it sure has some of those characteristics.  From volcanic soil?  Stems?  More to learn.  On the palate, this has nice lemon notes with some charred lemon peel.  Lots of energy.  Good acidity.  More about the minerality on the palate though.  Drink now to enjoy that energy.  It wil

Greece is making some really good wines these days, both red and white.  It seems the whites are finding more shelf space in wine stores though.  This white, made from the Assyrtiko grape is very good.  It is a higher end version and like many lovely whites, I question the need for a "serious" wine instead of just having a more "simple" wine.  This wine is fermented in oak barrels for 12 months and then left to age another 12 months in bottle before release.  The result is that this wine has more body and complexity but it loses the crispness and freshness that makes Santorini wines so enjo

100% Limnio.  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose has cherries and a minty note.  On the palate, firm tannins.  Cherries with an underlying char.  A bit of raisined grapes.  This will work with serious meat dishes and some medium weight foods.  It should make good drinking for the next five years at least.  Retails for $25 which is a fair price.  

What an interesting wine.  Made from the Agiorgitiko grape.  This retail for $24 which is a fair price.  It is unclear how it will age but it seems as though it should be drunk in the next few years.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose is lovely with sour cherries.  A bit of anise on the back of the nose.  On the palate, the sour cherries come thru along with some forest floor and some bell pepper.  A bit like a cooler climate Cabernet Franc combined with Barbera.  Firm tannins and good acidity.  This really begs for some food.  A fun wine.  

100% Xinomavro.  Light ruby in color.  This looks like it will be a lighter wine, then boom.  The nose has bitter sour cherries (in a good way) with some black olive and spice.  On the palate, this is light bodied but packs a lot of flavor on that thin frame.  Ripe cherries, firm tannins.  In the style of Nebbiolo but not.  Nice finish.  There is a nice backbone of acidity if not pronounced.  It should work well with a wide variety of foods, especially fowl.  13.5% Alc.  Retails for $20 which is a great deal for a very good wine and also something a bit different.  

 100% Agiorgitiko.  Ruby in color.  The nose has nice cherries with some pepper.  On the palate, this is tart cherries.  Quite tannic.  Good acid.  With some air, it drinks pretty easy.  Not too dissimilar from Barbera.  It retails for $9 which is a nice value.  

100% Assyrtiko grapes.  Light golden in color.  The nose has slight lemons with a bit or herbals notes and minerals.  On the palate, these are also present along with some pears.  There is a lot of depth here and it seems like it might develop with some air.  Enough but not a lot of acidity.  Lemony finish.  This should work great with sea food or lighter fare.  $28 per bottle retail, it is worth trying one to see where it goes.  It seems young now and like a couple of years would have some upside.  

This is a blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Plyto.  Light gold in color with green swirls.  The nose is interesting with a Sweet-Tart candy quality with green and orange flavors.  On the palate, the notes become more identifiable as citrus with lemon and lime.  Dry with good acidity.  It is full bodied with a lovely texture.  This drinks bigger than the sum of its parts and has a nice finish.  Works well on its own but would would well with lighter foods.  It retails for $25 which seems fairly priced both for the uniqueness and the quality.  Nice looking packaging.  

This is an interesting wine.  100% Roditis.  It retails for $9 which makes it a nice value especially when looking for something different.  Pale silvery green in color.  The nose has some peaches and limes which is interesting with nice minerality.  On the palate, more about minerality, slight saline and some citrus.  Easy drinking but enough acidity to work with food.  The salinity also makes it great for shell fish.  This wine is fresh and should probably be drunk in the first couple of years.