Ktima Pavlidis – Emphasis Assyrtiko 2019

A wine from the PGI Drama that proved polarizing in a blind tasting of the best mainland Assyrtikos. Tasted blind, floral notes hit the nose – notes that could almost remind you of certain red wines. The color is nearly golden, even more so than oak-aged versions. The 14.5% alcohol, sitting at the upper end, lends the wine considerable fullness on the palate, though the aromatics at times struggle to keep pace. The same goes for a tendency toward bitter notes. The finish reveals an herbal spiciness, but ultimately lacks the minerality to truly convince. This is a wine that walks a knife's edge. For many tasters, it caused too much irritation – it simply never opened up as the evening wore on. And it lacked the complexity that might have excused that. So the lead taster, who was inclined to judge differently, bowed to the democratically reached verdict and accepted the 'merely' very good 88+ points. One thing is certain, though: this is a bold wine when it comes to the development of mainland Assyrtiko. Only a few adjustments need to be made, and there is much – and this must be emphasized – much more potential here. A wine with truly extraordinary promise.