Philos Wines — Apeiro "∞" 2015

The 2015 Apeiro "∞" from Philos Wines is a 100% Agiorgitiko from old vines. The winery is based in Dafni, one of the 17 communes within the PDO Nemea zone on the Peloponnese, though the Apeiro itself — marketed as unfiltered and single vineyard — may deliberately sit outside the PDO classification. This was my first pour ever of this wine (I've never touched the entry-level Philos bottling). The nose is flat-out stunning — maybe the most complex bouquet I've had from a Greek red this year: black cherry cordial, violets, graphite, sea breeze. On the palate the pieces aren't quite locked together yet; the mid-palate feels a hair loose, but the salt-rimmed fruit and a minute-long finish still drive it to 95 points. Hard to believe it's ten years old. A tip: let it climb through a few temperatures — warmer means more cherry-plum depth, the oak melts in, and the age peeks out. 2015 really was a magic vintage for Agiorgitiko; the Ktima Biblia Chora Areti 2015 proved that just recently. The Apeiro is one of the best Agiorgitiko wines I've come across — indeed the best under-the-radar representative of the variety I've had. In Germany, the wines are available through Wine and Nature. The price is perfectly fair, so no "bargain steal," but this is serious quality.