Ktima Gerovassiliou – White 2019

The white entry-level wine from Ktima Gerovassiliou in the PGI Epanomi is a blend of Assyrtiko and Malagouzia and can be considered a classic of this combination. Evangelos Gerovassiliou, regarded as the saviour of the Malagouzia grape, favours an earlier harvest and a fruitier aromatic spectrum for his Malagouzia wines – a wonderfully clear peach fruit is particularly characteristic. This clearly dominates in this wine too.

The wine is thus a genuine alternative to the marriage of international Sauvignon Blanc and indigenous Assyrtiko – especially for those who appreciate fruity aromas in wine but find the blend of Assyrtiko and Sauvignon Blanc either too tannic or drifting too far into the exotic spectrum. A wine that no one in a summery gathering will find fault with! The Assyrtiko contributes a crisp acidity. This entry-level wine is admittedly not quite as full and complex as the pure-varietal Malagouzia, yet the finish is nonetheless remarkable. A superb 93 points. Available in the 2019 vintage for €13.69.

A noteworthy postscript: comparing it with the estate's pure-varietal Malagouzia in the 2021 vintage reveals just how brilliant the combination of the Malagouzia grape with Assyrtiko is. For in the 2021 vintage the well-known pure-varietal wine entirely lacks the typical expressive peach notes – the culprit was an early harvest due to an approaching heatwave. With the blend partner this made no difference, because the Assyrtiko grape contributes the acidity, and the Malagouzia only has to deliver aromatics, not uphold the wine's structure.

At a tasting alongside other Assyrtiko-Malagouzia blends – the more floral and acid-driven Idea White from Barafakas Winery, the herbal Roggia White from Ampelones Liappa with its Greek mountain tea character and the dense, honey-laden Ekecheiria from Olympia Gi Winery – the Gerovassiliou stood out for its pure expression of fruit and its accessibility.