Agelakis Winery — Materia Merlot 2019

The Materia Merlot 2019 from the Cretan Agelakis Winery takes a significant step up from the already very good Menexes Merlot of the same vintage. Just six months of ageing in French oak (plus partial maturation in Pitharia) result in an immensely sophisticated nose. The oak presents itself as a broad spectrum of spices without any single component sticking out unpleasantly. On top of that, there's a bloody note that makes you eager to explore the palate. There, given these high expectations, the fruit seems slightly lacking at first, but over time the perfectly pitched acidity at a pleasant 13% alcohol pushes to the foreground and carries the wine on the finish for a very, very long time. With a bit more maturity, this wine could deliver even more: 94+ points!