Domaine Paliomylos – Paliomylos 2018

As part of a tasting of Greek red wines made from Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot), the red Paliomylos 2018 from Ktima Paliomylos – founded in 2012 in Myrsini, Ilia on the Peloponnese and later expanding to Folegandros in the Cyclades – represents in many ways a stark contrast to the heavy, powerful style of some Greek Bordeaux blends. In the glass, it first catches the eye with relatively little colour extraction for a Bordeaux blend. On the nose, it shows red fruit character. On the palate, there's a surprisingly high acidity – unusual for wines of this type from Greece. Add to that a very moderate 13% alcohol. Both are likely testimony to the cold summer of that year – 2018 was a difficult vintage overall. Given these structural peculiarities, the various spice nuances the wine has to offer unfortunately get a bit lost. On the finish, vanilla aromas from 12 months of ageing in French oak barrels are subtly present – and linger for quite a while. All in all, that's enough for a very good 88 points.