Papargyriou Winery – Cuvée Hélène Goustolidi 2023

The 2024 vintage of Papargyriou Winery's Cuvée Hélène Goustolidi made it onto Yiannis Karakasis MW's "50 Great Greek Wines" list, which finally prompted me to give this wine a try – though I ended up with the 2023 vintage reviewed here. This single-variety white wine is made from 100% rare Goustolidi grapes grown on about 1,500 ungrafted vines at 750 m elevation near Sofiana in Corinthia. The grapes are hand-picked in early September, spontaneously fermented with native yeasts in 500 L French oak barrels, then aged on the fine lees for three months. With minimal sulfur additions and a gentle oak influence, the wine gains subtle wood complexity while remaining fresh and pure. On the nose: lime blossom meets a spicy mineral edge. On the palate: a strikingly vivid acidity that fills the mouth without overpowering the fruit. Quite elegant. But not my favorite white wine from Papargyriou Winery – it lacks a little bit of character compared to the others in my opinion. In any case, the wine needs plenty of oxygen and time to open up, revealing mint and lime notes. The finish is long – you'd swear you'd just emptied a Caipirinha. A beautiful addition to the summer white-wine lineup of Greek varieties, especially given its clear aging potential. I'm at 90 points today, and I'd be surprised if it doesn't hit 92+ after two to three more years in bottle. Available from wineandnature in Germany.