Jima Winery — Âge d'Or 2020

Jima Winery, run by Panos Jimas, is the epitome of a boutique estate — just 1.1 hectares under vine. Each wine is celebrated as a new "Day", with its own artwork on the label and a new name, which makes it rather hard to track the wines' reception over the years. The Âge d'Or is the 2020 vintage of the estate's flagship blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc from the Ambracian Gulf terroir in Epirus, inspired by the right bank of Bordeaux. The previous vintage, the 2019, was still called "Adagio" and was praised as something of a California imitation. The Âge d'Or, at a relatively modest 13.5% alcohol, steers back clearly towards France. In the nose, bold leather aromas announce themselves. On the palate, rare iodine notes lend the wine a distinctive character, with fruit playing only second fiddle. The mid-palate lacks a bit of pressure to play in truly iconic leagues, but over several days the wine gains remarkably, as notes of algae and leather merge harmoniously with the slightly oxidized fruit. 92 points — though it may be creeping closer to 93. At over €40 in Germany, it's not cheap, but it easily keeps up with wines like Château Bellegrave and Château Rouget from Pomerol.