Winemaker Notes
Brilliantly, light yellow in color with greenish tints. Strong and lively nose, typical Malagouzia, suggesting rose petal with floral aromas and sweet spices, melon, litchi with a note of honeysuckle. Round and mellow on the palate, fat but balanced, high in alcohol with plenty of finesse. Well structured, reminding the nose aromas with a hint of rosemary. A richly textured wine with superb length and balance. A classy wine with long finish and persistent aromas.
Excellently married with green salads, baked vegetables, pasta, low fat fishes and a wide variety of Greek sea food "Meze".
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Lively floral and white stone fruit aromas laced with fresh grass, white pepper and cardamom notes. Very enticing fragrance with a pleasant and crisp mouthfeel. Light, balanced and perfect for summer. Grapes are from high altitude (600m above sea level) destemmed, followed by cold soak, skin contact and temperature controlled fermentation. Aged on lees for two months with regular stirring.
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James Suckling
Pretty nose of peaches, honeysuckle, apples and lemons. Fruity, soft and medium-bodied, with sharp acidity and a refreshing finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Malagouzia Turtles Vineyard is unoaked and dry and comes in at 12.97% alcohol. On the elegant and bright side this year—the 2022s seem to have good acidity and freshness—this still doesn't lack for concentration of flavor and mouth-coating texture. The pure pears and citrus notes combine to make this delectable even now. In bottle about four months when tasted, this does show some immaturity, and it will likely be better in the summer. It won't take long to come around, though, and it looks like another winner. This will hold a few years, but there is no real point to holding it too long. It will be great this summer, and I'd drink it then or in its first two or three years to take advantage of its exuberance, flavor and freshness. The questions about development tend to give these a bit of a ceiling. Still, it is worth noting that this 2022 was still vigorous and and not completely developed when retasted a couple of days later. It is just irresistible. Let's lean up a bit for the moment.
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Wine Enthusiast
Elegant and bright, this single-vineyard Malagousia from northwesern Macedonia all but dances in the glass. It pours a pale straw color and bursts onto the nose and palate with lots of ripe stone fruit, honeysuckle and candied citrus notes, plus some faint floral flavors. Racy acidity throughout will have you reaching for your next sip, while the round, structured palate makes the wine equally suited to happy hour or the dinner table.
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Wine Spectator
This floral white shows a lovely interplay between juicy melon and white peach fruit flavors and a salty, mineral- driven underpinning. Medium-bodied, with soft citrus peel acidity and a touch of plushness to the texture, revealing accents of lime blossoms and ginger on the finish.
There are hundreds of white grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles.
A picturesque Mediterranean nation with a rich wine culture dating back to ancient times, Greece has so much more to offer than just retsina. Between the mainland and the country’s many islands, a wealth of Greek wine styles exists, made mostly from Greece’s plentiful indigenous varieties. After centuries of adversity after Ottoman rule, the modern Greek wine industry took off in the late 20th century with an influx of newly trained winemakers and investments in winemaking technology.
The climate—generally hot Mediterranean—can vary a bit with latitude and elevation, and is mostly moderated by cool maritime breezes. Drought can be an issue for Greek wine during the long, dry summers, sometimes necessitating irrigation.
Over 300 indigenous grapes have been identified throughout Greece, and though not all of them are suitable for wine production, future decades will likely see a significant revival and refinement of many of these native Greek wine varieties. Assyrtiko, the crisp, saline Greek wine variety of the island of Santorini, is one of the most important and popular white wine varieties, alongside Roditis, Robola, Moschofilero, and Malagousia. Muscat is also widely grown for both sweet and dry wines. Prominent red wine varieties include full-bodied and fruity Agiorghitiko, native to Nemea; Macedonia’s savory, tannic Xinomavro; and Mavrodaphne, used commonly to produce a Port-like fortified wine in the Peloponnese.