Nadir Winery – Avus 2016

The Avus 2016 from Nadir Winery is a Greek Syrah that unfortunately wasn't part of the actual tasting lineup but could only be sampled separately shortly afterwards. On the nose, the fruit is entirely focused on blackberry, yet without drifting into overripe or jammy territory. On top of that, there are wonderful bacon notes. Take a sip, and you feel like you're sucking on smoked salted almonds. The tannins are fine, the acidity supports the wine well, and the 15% alcohol is noticeable but well integrated. The initial finish is somewhat restrained, but then a second wave rolls in with a generous dose of plum and a truly wonderful hint of juniper. The wine is already a pleasure to drink, but what's still holding it back from reaching higher spheres is the fact that the individual aromatic phases appear sequentially, making the impression of complexity somewhat less than what should be possible in a year or two. No tertiary aromas to be found yet. There's more to come! An outstanding 92+ points – a wine that truly stands out and has already proven its aging potential.