Kyr Giannis Dyo Elies 2006

I have always found Greek wines, particularly reds, to be a bit hit or miss. Indeed, there is never a Greek wine I am ambivalent about... However, whenever I try one produced by Giannis Boutari under the Kyr Giannis (Kir-Yianni) estate, I have thus far been happy. With this in mind I picked up this Dyo Elies in an independent wine store in Athens and crossed my fingers.

Result: well worth the gamble. The Kyr Giannis estate is based in the Macedonian appellation of Naoussa, famed for its long-lived indigenous Xinomavro grape. Dyo Elies blends Xinomavro with Syrah and Merlot to produce an intense and complex wine with a deep purple colour. The nose is spicy with sweet blackcurrant and vanilla tones. Many of these come through in the taste and combine to give leathery body that, reinforced by the plentiful tannins, will develop further with age. Despite this aging potential I found this an extremely exciting wine to drink young too; a real sensory onslaught with a well rounded finish.

This guy is leading the way in Greek wine making... now if only some more of the others would follow his lead.

Kyr Giannis/Kir-Yianni

Dyo Elies 2006

Naoussa, Macedonia, Greece

£9-14 approx

4/5 (I resist a temptation to go higher)