Barafakas Winery — Apocalypsis 2015

The Apocalypsis Agiorgitiko 2015 from Barafakas Winery (PDO Nemea, 100% Agiorgitiko, 13.5%) is the premium bottling from the same estate from which we already had the lighter Idea Nemea 2021 further above. For the Apocalypsis, after roughly ten years of observation and experimentation, the best Nemea parcels on the slopes of Agios Ilias at 380–400 metres elevation were selected. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and then aged for twelve to fifteen months in French oak (225- and 300-litre barrels), followed by at least two years of bottle ageing before release. WineTaster awarded 91 points in 2022 and described the 2015 as rather fine and herbal than merely ripe and oak-driven. The nose is relatively restrained. On the palate there is an interesting minerality, which with further tasting also emerges on the nose as a slightly chlorine-like note. The wine is multi-layered. At first quite explosive on the attack, it then transitions into darker, olivaceous, woody, earthy notes — and then fades rather quickly into that Greek soil. Hence only 89 points at the moment. I do not believe it is currently in an aromatic trough from which it could still recover. If you have this wine, you should drink it now.