Ktima Katsarou — Stella 2020

Ktima Katsarou's Stella 2020 is a premium Chardonnay from PGI Krania on the slopes of Mount Olympus in Thessaly, and it was the revelation of a tasting last year where it stood in a line-up alongside excellent wines from Burgundy and Germany. Its unique palate journey — from creamy beginnings to an explosion of aromas — made it the best Greek Chardonnay I have ever had, earning a phenomenal 96 points. Priced at around 50–60 euros, it offers exceptional value when you consider that wines of comparable quality from Burgundy, such as a Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru, would cost significantly more. Ktima Katsarou only produces the Stella in good vintages, which speaks to the ambition behind this cuvée. For context, the subsequent 2022 vintage proved quite disappointing by comparison — lacking the aromatic explosion and fruit-driven development that made the 2020 so extraordinary — so this particular vintage really does seem to be something special.