Lacules Estate – The Chord 2022

At Lacules Estate, The Chord is the little brother, the entry point into the estate's style: where the single-varietal Estate wines sit at around 51 euros, this blend costs 24 euros in the Lacules shop, and it is the more approachable, fresher wine in the family. What's striking is how much the blend has shifted across vintages: in 2017 it was 70% Grenache, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah; in 2018 it was 60/30/10, back then with Merlot instead of Syrah; in 2019 it was 60/25/15 and 13.5%; in 2021 it was 45/35/20 and 14.5%. The 2022 combines 50% Grenache, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Syrah, likewise at 14.5%. The wine is classified simply as "Wine from Greece" – a Greek red from Koroni in Messenia – and is aged in barrels.

You put your nose to the glass and notice straight away: there's good wood at play here. Alongside it, juniper and dried blueberry. On the palate it takes a small moment, and you're still wondering whether the wine will stay restrained – and then, bang, it comes at you with a full broadside. The alcohol is wonderfully integrated this time, these 14.5% suit me perfectly, nothing at all feels obtrusive. There's plenty of blueberry, fresh this time, along with a little plum and caramel, and a fairly long finish. An opulent wine. Man, if only the other house wines in Greece had such opulence, one that didn't have to hide behind smoky wood. Later on a little seriousness joins in, a note that made me briefly think of Merlot: a small touch of olive tapenade – even though there's no Merlot at all in the 2022 blend.

How does it stand up against the other vintages? I saw the 2019 at 91 in 2022 at three years of age, and tasted it again in 2024 at five years: it had developed positively in the bottle, and I raised it to 92. I noted the 2021 at 92+ in 2024 at three years, showing more body. That makes the 2022 my highest-rated Chord to date.

That fits the vintage: the 2022 Peloponnese red-wine vintage was a very good, balanced, harmoniously classic year with ripe fruit, silky tannins and preserved acidity – considerably more harmonious than the extreme-heat year of 2021; the real issue was downy mildew pressure in spring, not the heat. So the fact that this vintage turns out stronger than 2021 lines up with my 93 over the 92+ of the 2021. Admittedly, this assessment looks strongly toward Nemea and Agiorgitiko, whereas Koroni lies on the coast – but the direction is right.

There is no public score for the 2022. For the neighbouring vintages, some context can be given: René Gabriel gave the 2021 "16/20, drink" in Vinothek 14 (there, however, with an outdated 13.5%); wine.plus rated the 2019 at 86, Oinos the 2016 at 91, Wine Vein the same vintage at 87.

For me, this time it's no longer 92 but actually 93 points. Yes, it has earned them.