Ktima Biblia Chora – Plagios White 2018

The 2018 Plagios White from Ktima Biblia Chora – an 85% Chardonnay, 15% Assyrtiko blend from PGI Pangeon in Macedonia – showed an unusually dark hue. Aromatically and on the palate, the wine felt past its peak. The quintessential brioche aroma, complemented by fresh citrus notes – a hallmark of its wood aging – had transformed into a medley of dried fruits with a rather flat profile. For context, the 2020 vintage of this same wine is among my clear Greek Chardonnay favorites, typically scoring around 93 to 94 points, with its gorgeous lemon tart and brioche character. The 2018, however, had clearly aged far less gracefully. While it could still fetch around 87 points in a blind tasting, it tasted more like a vintage at least 5 to 10 years older. Storage likely plays a significant role here – I've seen well-stored bottles of the Plagios hold up amazingly well, but this particular 2018 was not one of them.