The current issue 190 of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (August 31st) includes ratings on 24 Greek wines. Mark Squires, who wrote the reviews, has one of the most trusted palates in the wine business. Over the last couple of years, he has smartly become one of the leading experts of Greek wines, having visited Greece on several occasions in person.
His latest scores bring home an important message: Selected Greek wines offer very solid quality at fair prices. Out of the 24 wines, 23 were scored 85 points and higher. The top 3 scores (91 points and twice 90 points) went to Santorini producers; all wines are made from the Assyrtiko varietal and come from the hugely successful 2009 vintage. This does not surprise me, as Mark is known to admire the Santorini whites.
What really delights me is the number of other varietals that caught Mark’s attention: A dry Muscat from the Samos Coop, a Robola from Gentilini, Moschofilero from Spiropoulos, the very successful blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Assyrtiko from Pavlidis and more. This just shows the diversity that is available. Greek wines are never boring, and one can find top quality from a large range of varietals. And I might add that the wines featured represent only the tip of the iceberg, as so many Greek wines are not yet exported…
The prices for the wines range from $12 to $30 in the US, with only 6 wines being priced above $20.
Good for Greek! This hype I’m getting before my visit there is getting me exicted. Only a week and plus few days to go.