Tasty old world

Plum, dried fig and herb aromas from the cork. Medium+ aromatics from the glass with blackcurrant, leather, cocoa and plum notes. On the palate, it's medium-bodied with rubber, wild herb, leather, raspberry, and spice flavours. It has very good acidity, dusty tannins, and shows hints of cocoa on the medium-length finish. This fine, maturing wine will drink nicely for another 2-3 years. Tasted Apr/2015.

Medium bodied, the flavours of this Greek red are dominated by red fruit (think cherry, raspberry), with a sheen of vanilla from the oak ageing. Nicely balanced, with softening tannin and well-judged acidity. Not quite the complexity or length to score 90+pts, but an enjoyable wine. Should please with a diversity of grilled foods. Drinking now or hold a couple of years. Tasted May 2015.

On the one hand, this good-value, medium-bodied Agiorgitiko from the Peloponnese comes across like a Pinot Noir with a rough edge, with earthy, woodsy, black peppery notes amidst sharp cherry and raspberry juice, a rustic approach to a sophisticated grape. On the other hand, there's rubber, quite a lot of it, on the nose and palette, and while it dissipates somewhat over time, it's an offensive note throughout. Oh, and there are also those chalky tannins to contend with on the finish. So it's an interesting if also disappointing effort, and it could have been so much better.