Giannikos Winery – The Lion 2018

On the nose, this 2018 wine initially surprises with strongly oxidative notes. At first, you'd almost think of banana bread, then an impression of rumtopf takes over. Alongside plenty of spice – speculaas and cinnamon, and after some time a very pronounced clove – you'd expect, tasting blind, a good deal of aged sweetness on the attack. On the palate, however, it quickly becomes clear that this impression is deceptive. The tannins are still quite pointed and coat the front of the mouth very persistently. The acidity is actually very good but can't – yet – carry the wine, given how astringent it is. Only with time, after several days, does the fruit show itself properly, and then it lifts the overall impression of the wine considerably. This is a wine you absolutely must decant if you want to experience it at its best. It would be interesting to see whether the aromatics and tannin structure might come together even more harmoniously with further aging. 89 points.