Ktima Kalogri — Mrs. Poulia 2021

Ktima Kalogri's Mrs. Poulia Macerated 2021 is a skin-contact Moschofilero from the Arcadia region in the Peloponnese — a wine that can't carry the PDO Mantinia designation since that appellation is reserved for white wines only. This one delivers what is, for me, the perfect Moschofilero nose: floral, but not excessively so, and smelling super fresh. On the palate it's kind of fizzy, but don't let that distract you. There's a lot going on here with berries and citrus, plus this yeasty yumminess that adds real depth. It's not everyone's cup of tea because it's pretty raw and unpolished, but I'm all in. Tasted alongside other Moschofilero expressions — including the more oxidative Ktima Paliomylos Moschofilero 2021 and Fteri Vinum's La Nonna Moschofilero 2020, as well as Kalogri's own white Moschofilero, Mister Helios 2020 — the Mrs. Poulia stood out as the real Moschofilero deal for me. While the Mister Helios white version impressed with its vanilla and caramel notes and scored 92 points this year, this macerated rosé captures the grape's character in a more vivid, untamed way that I find irresistible — a thoroughly convincing 91 points.