Christos Kokkalis — Trilogia 2009

The 2009 Trilogia by Christos Kokkalis, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from PGI Ilia on the west coast of the Peloponnese, shows garnet red with violet highlights but less extract than other vintages. The tannins are compact and consistent, without the dynamic progression of the Trilogia 2012. Aromatically, it's subtle, with rosemary dominating and mocha, leather, and cigar box fading. Its acidity remains strong, though the 2012 now outshines it in balance. Everything is in its place. A wine that is excellent, though within a very specific corridor. Precision. In the broader context of Trilogia vintages, the 2009 sits below the outstanding 2008 (96 points) and well below the legendary 2006 (98 points), which remains the best Trilogia I've personally tasted — though I've never had the chance to try the truly mythical 1990s vintages. At 92 points, the 2009 is a fine wine, but one that operates in a narrower corridor than the estate's greatest achievements.