Evampelos Ghi — Geraklis Boreas Assyrtiko 2018

This barrel-aged Assyrtiko from the little-known PGI Fthiotida was tasted as part of a blind tasting of the best mainland Assyrtikos. On the nose, light caramel notes overlay the fruit aromas. These tend toward the darker spectrum — there are even blueberries in there. But alongside that, you also get more typical mirabelle plum aromatics. On the palate, good creaminess — the combination of French and American oak adds a hefty layer on top of the modest 13% alcohol. Evampelos Ghi is going its own highly commendable way when it comes to oak aging! The question of whether you can profitably put Assyrtiko into oak is emphatically answered by this wine. With rather moderate acidity, though, it's not a wine built on structure. The wine initially takes a detour, then comes back with a second wave on the finish. If, for example, you find the Assyrtiko from Ktima Pavlidis too bitter, or the one from Domaine Costa Lazaridi drifts too far into citrus territory, here's a wine that will deliver plenty of drinking pleasure. Even more moderate wine drinkers didn't feel overwhelmed in the slightest. In terms of sheer drinkability, only the young Assyrtiko from Ktima Kir-Yianni scored higher in the blind tasting. An excellent 92 points.