Domaine Hatzimichalis — Merlot Alargino 2020

Domaine Hatzimichalis, founded by Dimitris Hatzimichalis in 1973 in the Atalanti Valley of Central Greece, was among the first Greek estates to plant international varieties alongside indigenous grapes — and the first to bottle Merlot as a single varietal, starting with the 1989 vintage. The Merlot Alargino comes from the vineyard called "Alargino" (meaning "the furthest away"), situated at 320–350m elevation with no irrigation and low yields of just 3,500 kg/ha. The microclimate benefits from cool breezes flowing between Mount Parnassus and the Euboean Gulf. The 2020 vintage has a rather bright color and immediately reminds one of a Pomerol from a hot year on the nose, with plenty of cherries and marzipan. The tannins are strong, yet already quite refined. The finish is outstanding. I would give this wine 93 points now, and it's more than just likely to improve. Having tasted several older vintages — including the legendary 1992 (93 points), which was the first Greek wine ever on the IWC Top 100 list, the superb 2004 (95 points), and the surprisingly complex 2011 (94 points) — I can say with confidence that this estate's Merlot rewards patience. The 2021 Merlot Alargino, tasted alongside the 2020, scored a comparable 93+ points and already showed better oak integration after roughly the same time post-harvest, suggesting both vintages will one day reach 95 points. Priced between 20–30€, the 2020 is definitely worth buying and cellaring for a decade... or two.