Nikolaou Estate — Nemea Agiorgitiko 2020

The Agiorgitiko Nemea 2020 from Nikolaou Estate (PDO Nemea, 100% Agiorgitiko, organic, 13.5–14%) scored 87 points. Nikolaou is a family winery in Nemea with roots dating back to the 1930s; founder Giannis Nikolaou studied in Bordeaux, and the estate has been farmed organically since 1999. The wine comes from a single vineyard in Koutsi at approximately 350 meters elevation, on calcareous soil with a southwestern exposure, from vines roughly 15 years old. Hand-harvesting takes place at the end of September; fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, after which the wine matures for up to 18 months in 300- to 600-liter French oak barrels, followed by further bottle aging. At only around 4,000 bottles, this is clearly the estate's ambitious flagship bottling. A solid introduction to a mineral-driven wine for under 10 euros, organically grown, wild-fermented, hand-picked, well-balanced, with very good concentration. The finish is somewhat short, yet there is clearly more potential. Currently sitting at around 87 points.