Astir X Winery – Mati Fortuna Red 2016

The red Mati Fortuna 2016 from AstirX initially left me quite perplexed. The white wine bearing the same name had hardly swept me off my feet. But standing in contrast to that somewhat half-baked white counterpart is a wine that was obviously produced with serious ambition – even though, as with the other wines from this producer, grapes from several growers across the Peloponnese were used. The wine was not only aged for two years in new French oak barrels but then spent another two years in bottle before being released. The solution to the quality leap: the winery also produces a Gold variant of the series in both white and red. Price-wise, the difference isn't huge, as the wine retails in Greece for under 15 euros – remarkably affordable by international standards for a wine with such elaborate ageing. And that ageing was deployed to great effect: as the only wine in a lineup of varietal Cabernet Sauvignon tastings, this bottle stood out with its pronounced vanilla aromatics. Floral aromas on the nose, especially violet, also demanded attention. Even if the truly grand complexity is missing: mission accomplished – the wine does what it's supposed to do. In one respect, though, this still remains to be proven, because despite its sturdy oak framework, it didn't show the best staying power over several days. How it will present itself in five or ten years remains to be seen. For now, an excellent 89 points.