THE BEST GREEK WINES OF 2020
Take a look at the Best Greek Wines of 2021!
This is the list of the Best Greek Wines of 2020. The best Greek wines were selected according to the preferences, sales and ratings from the 43.000 members of Botilia.gr. The selection was made among the hundreds of Greek wines that passed through Botilia.gr this year. With major changes over the list of the previous year, the list of the Best Greek Wines of 2020 contains wines from all over Greece, with Northern Greece dominating.
20. Sauvignon Blanc Fume Florian Estate
The elegant Sauvignon, after fermentation in stainless steel tank, matures in acacia barrels for 4 months. The result is definitely impressive as it manages to perfectly balance the elegant barrel notes with the juicy, pure fruit, giving explosive aromas of tropical fruits, butter, and toffee. It is the most tropical, Greek Sauvignon and in combination with the spicy character of the barrel it is really irresistible!
19. Mythic River Rose 2019 Gofa Estate
Who said semi-dry rosés are boring? Whoever said that has not tried Mythic River Rose! Rose, strawberry, cherry, cranberry and milk caramel are met in a balanced whole, with crisp acidity and subtle sweetness
18. Kotsifali-Mavrotragano Karavitakis Vineyards
The favorite Kotsifali - Merlot changed a little and in place of Merlot came Santorini’s Mavrotragano! The unique and truly original blend ages in used French oak barrels for 12 months and the result is just perfect! Intense fruit, botanical and spicy character in every sip.
17. Moschopolis 6 Moschopolis Winery
The gold medal at Mundus Vini and the Best of Show distinction, among 4,500 thousand wines come just to confirm what we say but also the reason why this wine makes some noise wherever it appears. For Moschopolis 6, Assyrtiko grows and matures in the family's dry, seaside vineyard and is harvested by hand at the right time. The blend is supplemented by 10% Xinomavro, which is vinified with the Blanc de Noir method (white from red) and gives a very interesting botanical character to the wine. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts (to emphasize its terroir) and matures, for 6 months, in French oak barrels, 1st and 2nd use.
16. Rose Extra brut Domaine Karanika
Laurens Hartman is the man who believed more than anyone else in Xinomavro as a variety ideal for producing great sparkling wines. Applying the laborious traditional method of champagne (method traditionnelle), the organically grown wines have already gained international recognition and continue to amaze Champagne critics when tested. The Rose Extra Brut Domaine Karanikas from 95% Xinomavro and 5% Limniona (the next big thing, in which Laurens believes a lot) is a rose surprise from Amynteo!
15. Naoussa Domaine Kelesidis
Do you know what a Grand Cru is? It is one of those very specific vineyards that have been proven to produce big wines. And Naoussa 2016 by Domaine Kelesidis was born in one of them, at Yiannakochori, Naoussa. There, using organic techniques, Kelesidis family produces one of the finest Xinomavros you can come across. It joggles between modern and classic winemaking and - believe us – it is jaw dropping...
14. Rose de xinomavro Thymiopoulos Vineyards
The champion of the badass rosé category, Rose de Xinomavro, steals the show every year! It may not have the pale color of Provence rosés but it does not need it at all, since what characterizes it is the complexity, the tomato character and the impressive structure that you rarely find in rosé wines.
13. Merlot Mpougiouris Estate
The king of value for money red wine by Mpougiouris Wines belongs firmly to the preferences of the public. Juicy, ripe red and black fruit, gentle oak touch, velvety tannins and notes of milk chocolate win you over in every sip, that’s how it manages to be in your favorites list, for several years!
12. Refosco Adam Wines
Careful organic cultivation, very low acreage yields that are not exceeding 500 kg / acre, manual harvest and very strict sorting, only of the best grapes get into Refosco, the flagship of the Adam Wines! The precious juice ages in new French 225 lt oak barrels for 14 months to soften and emphasize its spicy character. Rich and robust, it has a fanatical audience that drink wine in his name!
11. Earth and Sky Thymiopoulos Vineyards
The landmark wine for both its creator, Thymiopoulos, and for Xinomavro, could not be missing from the best Greek wines of the year! The modern and charming face of Xinomavro, with the rich and juicy red fruit, the delicate floral character and the silky tannins managed to make even the sworn enemies of the variety to adore it!
10. Le Roi des Montagnes Cuvee Papargyriou Winery
The "king of the mountains" has been on his throne for years and as it seems, it will be very difficult to remove him! The special blend of Yiannis Papargyriou from Cabernet Sauvignon, Touriga Nacional and Mavrodafne gives lessons of concentration and depth! Anyone who tries it once is doomed to love it forever!
9. Deux Dieux Aivalis Winery
The original blend has it all and shows how this couple came to stay. Syrah gives tannins, acidity and peppery character, Agiorgitiko gives finesse and juicy red fruit. The vines, old, dry and deprived of lubrication for years, gave all their juice to very few bunches. Old vineyards, dry and without any fertilization for years, have done their best to ripen just a few bunches. You understand now what kind of concentration we are talking about. The two varieties are vinified separately and their precious juice matured for 30 months in new, French, oak barrels from the Allier forest.
8. Tear of the Pine Kechris Winery
The Tear of the Pine Kechris Winery is a wine that has impressed the world. A wine that ages beautifully (having tried vertically up to 2005 vintage) and one that is leading the battle to make Greek wine popular worldwide. If you see the awards of Tear of the Pine Kechris Winery, you will be really impressed. The countless gold medals and the highest awards at major international competitions fill out numerous pages. The wine lists it participates in worldwide will make you feel dizzy.
7. Agios Chronos Avantis Estate
2020 was definitely not a Holy Year (aka Agios Chronos) but with a sip from Agios Chronos Avantis Estate it can definitely look a bit better! Saying goodbye to an admittedly difficult year with a blend of Rhone, from the hands of the great Apostolos Mountrichas, we blink to the coming year with the hope that everything will be better.
6. Limniona Domaike Karanika
We'll start by telling you that you should definitely taste Limniona by Domaine Karanika, for at least 2 reasons. The first is that we are talking about the most elegant and up-coming Greek red variety. Limniona is a diva and cannot be tamed by any producer, as it is an incredibly demanding and difficult variety to handle. But if you're Laurens Hartman, then you know exactly what to do in order to get the best out of this demanding variety. The recipe is known. Flawless fruit, ambient yeasts and aging in French barrels of 4th use for 18 months.
5. Elia Vidiano Karavitaki Vineyards
The pride of Nikos Karavitakis, his Vidiano, in its best version could not be missing from this list! Elia Vidiano comes from a vineyard located at an altitude of 640 meters and bore fruit only for 1,450 valuable bottles. Part of the wine was aged in oak barrels from the Vosges for at least 6 months. The result is elegant, sophisticated and deliciously oily, both now and in the next 5 years!
4. Xinomavro Reserve Estate Alpha
Xinomavro Reserve Vieilles Vignes Alpha Estate, is one of the very few Greek wines that amaze with the scores and distinctions they achieve, both inside and outside Greece. Suffice it to say that the 2016 vintage started with 94+ pts from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and took off with the title of the best wine in the world for 2020, according to Vinepair! The Barba Giannis vineyard with old, pre-phylloxera vines, planted in 1919, gives its best fruit for a world-class wine.
3. Mv Mavroudi Anatolikos Vineyards
If the myth that Odysseus got Polyphemus drunk with Mavroudi is true, then surely this could be the Mv Mavroudi of the Eastern Vineyard! The Thracian variety is masterfully combined with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, by composing a truly delicious red wine!
2. Moschopolis 18 Moschopolis Winery
The magical blend of Mavrotragano and Syrah of Germanis family, with the ambient yeasts and the eighteen-month stay in oak barrel, appears consistently in the list of the best Greek wines every year. Juicy, rich and complex, it gets even better every year. In our opinion it is, so far, the best they have ever done!
1. Autorizo Thymiopoulos Vineyards
The wine - revelation! The magician of Xinomavro proves once again that he is one of the best winemakers in Greece with three single vineyard wines, based on the logic of Burgundy (both in terms of cru and in terms of winemaking. Autorizo stole the show and was rightfully the best greek wine of the year!
The team of botilia.gr
