9/29/2015 - Octapus wrote:

Average Chard, loosing points due to bitter ending

9/4/2015 - Octapus wrote:

Slightly oxidised, in a good manor. Candied orange and lemon, honey, stones and volcanic ash. Full bodied with high acidity and excellent finish.

9/4/2015 - Octapus wrote:

Past peak (probably 3 to 5 years)

1/26/2015 - Octapus wrote:

Not even slightly tired. Oak integration is now fantastic. Will improve further the following 2 - 3 years.

1/3/2015 - Octapus wrote:

Past peak

8/19/2014 - Octapus wrote:

A bit tired than my previous tasting a couple of years ago. Drink now!

8/8/2014 - Octapus wrote:

Surprisingly good. Complex, concentrated with evolved tannins at their best point. Long finish

8/8/2014 - Octapus wrote:

In a good point to drink. Live fruit, elegant, but a bit overoaked

4/4/2014 - Octapus wrote:

Medium ruby. Nose of medium intensity. Tons of red fruit (cherries, red berry, strawberry), all combined in a ripe/unripe manor. Good oak integration in terms of vanilla than smoke. Medium+ body, silky tannins, medium+ acidity, very well balanced with long aftertaste. A rather old-world Priorat, already enjoyable, with further aging potential. Would have gone even better in scoring if it had a bit more intense nose (opened up after an hour of decanting. Don't omit it!)

3/2/2014 - Octapus Likes this wine:

Medium yellow color. Developed nose of medium+ intensity. Concentrated and complex, with ripe yellow fruit (apricot, nectarine and citrus), evident but integrated oak (not wood but vanilla hints of smoke, and tons of honey), stony and mineral, and all covered by a nice veil of herbality (some thyme and rosemary). The wine is intended to be slightly oxidised, adding further interesting elements of wax and glue. Palate is slightly off dry, necessary for balancing the natural high acidity. Alcohol is obviously high, but so well integrated that was hardly noticed. Great flavor intensity, full of stone fruit, and earthy notes, and a bit more evident oak than nose. Very long and “sweet” finish.

3/2/2014 - Octapus wrote:

Lacking complexity and consentration. Good oak work. Drink now

1/23/2014 - Octapus wrote:

Very dense and complex fruit, but 15% alcohol ruins it all.

12/25/2013 - Octapus wrote:

Not as "roasted" as expected, but overall enjoyable

12/4/2013 - Octapus wrote:

Past peak. Drink until 8-10 years at most

11/17/2013 - Octapus wrote:

Deep unusual color, as it was almost equally ruby, and garnet, with notes of purple. Did i mess it up? OK stay with a tired ruby. Complex nose of medium intensity, presenting tons of black and – oddly – red cherries, plums (see bellow why those notes linked perfectly with food) sweet spice (cinnamon & cloves) and well integrated oak, mostly with smoke and less vanilla.

Mouth of medium acidity, and excellent many velvety tannins. If i had to vote for wine’s best part, tannins are what i go for! Body is something less than full (medium +) and flavor intensity just high enough to make you twirl it in your mouth again and again. Long lasting full of red fruit and spices.

The spicy aromatic character of the wine, makes it ideal for eastern, equally spicy, meat dishes. My choice were beef rolls stuffed with onions, carrots, garlic, coriander, fresh basil, sweet plums (key ingredient as the wine presented it’s notes clearly) and cumin, slowly simmered in tomato sauce.

Drink now. It has potential for a few years more, but won’t benefit much.

10/25/2013 - Octapus wrote:

Medium gold color. Nose is complex and concentrated, with mainly tropical fruit, ripe pear, apricot, grapefruit and orange zest, indicative of the mild weather of the region and the high ripeness level of harvest. Oak is well integrated (used French barriques with only 25% new) giving light vanilla and roasted nuts notes, with only traces of smoke.
Full bodied and textured, with high acidity. The constant crisp, long lasting aftertaste (mostly of apricot and nuts), well over 10 sec, is its highlight, verifying the obvious detailed job in the vineyard. Already enjoyable, will improve the following five years at least. Should i find a setback? Well only it’s slightly aggressive alcohol.

3/25/2013 - Octapus wrote:

Clear medium gold. Decanted for one hour. Nose of medium intensity, presenting peach & apricot, hints of jasmine and a lot of the oak aromas expected (vanilla, nuts & honey). Dry palate of medium acidity, full bodied and the same oak aromas (though not dominating). Medium lasting. Overall a great Greek Chard. Could have been an exceptional wine if it had a little less alcohol (15%) and a bit longer finish.

3/17/2013 - Octapus wrote:

Deep ruby. Decanted for 2,5 hours. Nose full of black cherries, berries, black spice, and evident oak (less vanilla and lots of smoke). Some animal hints are also there along with dark chocolate. Palate with same aromas, full body, medium acidity, many but round tannins, and medium+ lasting. One of the best Greek Merlot, a bit overoaked for my standards.

3/3/2013 - Octapus wrote:

Clean medium golden. Medium intensity nose, with dominant minerality and hints of citrus, orange zest and some green apple. Full bodied (due to high alcohol of 15%) with medium+ acidity, medium lasting and same aromas of stone and some smoke. Very good but i was expecting a bit more, especially in terms of acidity and finish.

1/27/2013 - Octapus Likes this wine:

Bright ruby color. Decanted for 3 hours (don’t omit it!). Strong and concentrated bouquet of cherries and herbal notes, with evident oak. Same taste in the palate with medium body, still solid tannins, and excellent long lasting and balancing acidity. Drink now, or in the following five years. A very well made premium wine from Nemea Region.

1/20/2013 - Octapus Likes this wine:

Medium rubby color. Decanted for 2 hours. Typical full intense nose, with lots of cherries and red fruits, but a little overoaked. Medium body with excellent acidity, well integrated velvety tannins, and medium+ lasting. A great wine, with strong potential. Already drinkable, but will certainly improve more.

1/12/2013 - Octapus Likes this wine:

Decanted for 1 hour (but needs more). Dark ruby with purple hue. Nose full of cherries, chocolate, coffee, well integrated oak (only 30% new) and the typical spices. Ripe tannins, full bodied, nice acidity and very long lasting.

11/11/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Excellent oak integration. Nose mainly of honey, nuts, butter and citrus. Palette full of Santorini's volcanic soil, high acidity and long lemon finish. Not a hind of "fatigue" till now, promising for an even better aging potential.

10/21/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Dark yellow. Exotic fruit, peach, orange zest, vanilla, all with great power and complexity. Palate: reach, with medium+ body, adequate acidity, and aftertaste that lasts “forever”. Try now or in the few following years to allow full oak integration. Paired with cuttlefish risotto in it's own ink. Excellent!

10/15/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Good fruit on the nose, with evident oak. Medium bodied, with good but still young tannins. medium+ lasting.

10/14/2012 - Octapus wrote:

An excellent wine, very similar to a classic Santorini, but with more complexity in nose. High acidity, along with long lasting. A bit overpriced.

9/16/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Gold color with green hues. Tropical aromas (mango, papaya, ginger), peach, rose hips, and surprisingly (but very welcome) distinct spices. On the palette, same as on nose, rich and full bodied, balanced acidity and long lasting. The almost off dry character of the wine, along with its spicy notes, make it the absolute companion for ethnic cuisine. Very good.

9/11/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Nose did not open up, after 40min of decanting. Very dry tannins. Not ready yet. It will need several years more, to be pleasant.

9/10/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Dark ruby. Solid nose, full of casis and evident oak, among some herbal notes. On the palette, high acidity, well integrated tannins, long lasting and with medium body. Ready to drink, but will do fine the following years. One of the most value for money Greek Cabs.

9/8/2012 - Octapus wrote:

One of the best Merlot I've tried the last years. Ruby dark color. Amazing nose of red fruit, chocolate and spice. Palate with same fruit, still firm tannins, high acidity (maybe a little less, will lead to a more balanced result) and evident, well integrated oak. Long lasting and medium body. Will evolve nicely the following years.

8/27/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Medium ruby color. Expressive nose with tons of black pepper and spices (quite dominant though), strawberry, and lots of herbal notes. Medium body with silky tannins, fruity with high crispy acidity. Long aftertaste. Paired with lamb, but will do fine with tomato sauce fish dishes. An excellent and recommended wine.

7/18/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Dark red ruby color. Following 45 min of decanting: Charming and complex nose with all the typical sweet spices of Syrah, pepper, cinnamon, red fruit, and a lot of herbal notes (mint and eucalyptus). Same flavors on the palate, medium body with excellent but still young tannins. Adequate acidity, very good lasting. It will certainly evolve nice the following years, and i will keep an eye on it!

7/4/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Green apple and floral on the nose. Medium bubble dynamic. Same aromas on the palate, with medium (to low) acidity. Matched quite well with smoked salmon (Thai style flavored) . Good effort but i'll not miss it.

6/25/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Medium intensity nose of black fruits spices and some smoke. Mouth of soft tannins, very acidic and short lasting. Descent for the daily table, but at least double priced for its quality.

6/18/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Explosive fruit, dominated by blue berries and a little oak. Soft tannins and good aftertaste

4/28/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Finesse nose of flowers and secondarily citrus. The palate was unfortunately a disappointment. The great Chablis acidity was simply absent, leading to an unbalanced wine with very short finish. Try one of the other labels of this winery, that are quite excellent.

4/25/2012 - Octapus wrote:

This is the main red label of the winery, introducing the rare indigenous northen Evia variety of Vradiano, in a blend with Syrah. It is dark ruby, with a nose of black fruit, violet and some oak. Typical spiciness of Syrah, is also there. The palate is dry, with medium body and lasting, and great acidity. Pairs well with light red meat dishes. Good effort, especially if it is going to improve in terms of concentration and aftertaste.

4/25/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Medium ruby. Medium intensity nose. Cherries, plums, spice and a bit of leather and oak. Dry palate, medium body, not silky but good smooth tannins, medium lasting. Very high acidity, makes it perfect for fatty dishes, and tomato sauce fish. A good typical Chianti, expressive but lacking in intensity & complexity.

4/22/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Dark ruby. Not so expresive nose as i expected. Ballanced between spiciness and oak on one hand, and fruit on the other. (Not quite sure if i like depresed fruit in a Marlbough Pinot). Silky tannins, medium body, and medium lasting. Good enough for pizza/soccer night, as we enjoyed it.

4/19/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Dark ruby. Some kind of "strange" nose, mostly with leather, coffee, vanilla, spices (the wine spent 12 months in American barrel) and less fruit. Same feeling in the palate with medium body and aftertaste. A good wine but one dimensional.

4/14/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Very nice nose with pear and some grapefruit. Same feeling in the palette, but it lacks some acidity. Good try

4/8/2012 - Octapus wrote:

An oak aged Chardonnay, but with very light use of the barrel. Shy nose with med aftertaste. Not bad, but needs improovement.

4/1/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Tasted with roasted lamb. Dark color. Nose mainly of spices and a lot of smoke (obviously "overburned" barrel). Med body, well integrated tanins and med lasting

3/13/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Very good Port like (fortified) Mavrodaphne, balanced and generous.

2/16/2012 - Octapus wrote:

This is one of the flagships o Montes , introducing the indigenous Carmenere (with addition of 8% Petit Verdot). It is bottled unfiltered so, decanting for two hours, was necessary. Dark solid color. Amazing nose, fully concentrated, with cherries, berries and coffee, with only traces of oak. In the palette, full bodied with excellent integrated silky tannins and constant long lasting aftertaste. A wine worth every last euro of its price.

2/10/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Deep yellow. Nose of medium intensity, with elegant and shy aromas of exotic fruit and herds. Excellent in the palette, with good acidity and long citrus lasting. Very good.

1/29/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Dark color, with purple hue. Quiet week nose of dried fruits and spices, and a little oak. Much better in the palette, with silky tannins and medium lasting.

1/7/2012 - Octapus wrote:

Decanted for two hours and paired with roast beef. Dark ruby. Bouquet mainly by berries, following by tobacco, coffee and oak. On the palette, sweet cherries, nice body and remarkable integrated and soft tannins. An excellent win at its peak. Drink now, and enjoy ever younger vintages.

12/25/2011 - Octapus wrote:

Full yellow color, indicative of the barrel treatment. Shy nose, mainly with almonds ans nuts. It began to open up about 45 minutes after opening, thus it is strongly recommended to decant for at least an hour. When it did, smoke aromas raised. I think they over reacted a bit with the barrel burning! Full bodied, with medium acidity and nice lasting. A good and above average wine.

12/24/2011 - Octapus wrote:

Compact dark color. Although it was decanted for about two hours, the nose remained a little "shy" with mainly berries and spices, and some oak. Impressive palette, with excellent concentration, good body and long lasting. Well done tannins, that will benefit of a couple of years more. Recommended!