Domaine Skouras — Megas Oenos 2019

The Megas Oenos 2019 from Domaine Skouras — 80% Agiorgitiko, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% alcohol, 18 months in new French barriques — is something like the unofficial ambassador of Greek wine. George Skouras brought Burgundian know-how to the Peloponnese and created a blend that caused an international stir in the 1990s. Because the PDO Nemea is reserved exclusively for varietal Agiorgitiko, the wine continues to be labeled as PGI Peloponnese to this day.

In a blind tasting against five ambitious Bordeaux from the outstanding 2019 vintage — including a 5ème Cru Classé (Château Belgrave), the legendary garage wine project Clos Manou, and the biodynamic Château Doyac — the Megas Oenos, with its pale color, initially looks surprisingly thin next to the deep violet, almost black Bordeaux.

On the nose, vanilla dominates. You have to be into that — and it is without question the most heavy-handed oak treatment in the entire lineup. On the palate, however, the wine convinces with very delicate and varied berry aromas, and by the fact that the oak presents itself far more diversely here than on the nose: not just vanilla, but a whole spectrum — caramel, toasty notes, spice. On the finish, touches of sweetness, bitterness, and peppery heat interact in a genuinely invigorating way. A wine that admittedly walks a knife's edge — but it has paid off that it takes some risks rather than getting stuck in blandness. 94 points. Tied with the Doyac at the top of the tasting.