Diamantakis Winery – Diamantopetra Red 2018

The Diamantopetra Syrah-Mandilaria 2018 from Diamantakis Winery was a personal disappointment: smoky Syrah notes dominate the nose, while on the palate a hefty acidity and pronounced tannins overwhelm the fruit. At just 12.5% alcohol, it also lacks a bit of body. A somewhat unbalanced wine that barely scrapes 88 points. Konstantinos Lazarakis MW writes in The Wines of Greece (p. 370): 'Diamantopetra is the most prestigious line … Although most Cretan producers blend Syrah with the softer Kotsifali, in Diamantopetra Red Diamantakis blends it with Mandilaria, and comes out a winner …' Personally, that's hard to agree with. However, the 2020 vintage was recently rated 92+ points by Peter Pharos – after a rather moderate 89+ for the 2017. So perhaps there is a genuine upward trajectory underway.