Acheon Winery — Icon R Orange 2017

A wine from the creative Acheon Winery that puts on an impressive show of development in the glass. Opened cold, you smell – well, nothing at first. On the palate too, there's barely any flavor, and the alcohol – a full 13% – is virtually imperceptible. If anything, you'd think of a sparkling apple spritzer. Only with time does it evolve into something like cloudy apple cider on the palate. Gradually, more and more mineral notes emerge on the nose – which then suddenly give way to a delicate strawberry aroma. But that doesn't stick around for long. In its place come quince and dried fruits. Apricot above all. And now, as the alcohol becomes more apparent, you might even think of plum brandy. On the tongue, fairly aggressive tannins also kick in. A wine that, for this reason alone and with its good acidity, has plenty to offer as a food companion – with goat dishes, for instance. But it's also genuinely exciting to follow the evolution of aromas and flavors without the distraction of food. Because every now and then, that very delicate, shy strawberry reappears on the palate as well. It's astonishing what you can do with the often-maligned Roditis (Fox) grape when you give it more skin contact. An outstanding orange wine that deserves 91 points. Above all: fantastic value for money! Anyone who harbors negative feelings toward the Roditis grape because of unpleasant cheap retsina experiences can reconsider their prejudices here – at a very affordable price.