2013 Domaine Skouras Megas Oenos 750 ml

A 3,500-Year Commitment to Excellence

Let’s not mince words: Greek wine is on fire. Any great restaurant worth its salt from New York to San Francisco offers a compelling selection of Greek wines, which are full of character, energy and minerality that beautifully showcases an array of cuisines.

One producer — George Skouras — is prized above all others by America's leading sommeliers. A consistent producer of some of the finest wines off the entire Peloponnese islands, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate considers Skouras one of the “two very best, if not the best” winemakers of the region. His wines had always been exclusively targeted for the finest tables in Manhattan, unavailable for home enjoyment.

Until today.

Wine historians have noted that the Nemea region of the Peloponnese has been considered Greece’s finest wine region since the time of the ancient Greeks. Homer called this region Ampeloessa, which translates to “full of vines.” Archeological excavations have unearthed ancient winemaking equipment dating from 3,500 years ago.

The king grape of Nemea has always been Agiorgitiko. Fruity and bursting with flavor, Agiorgitiko is known for its supple, lip-smacking freshness — like a hybrid of Merlot and Gamay. On its own, Agiorgitiko is a crowd-pleaser, perfect with roast chicken or patio drinking. But when blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, like the 2013 Megas Oenos, then you have a wine with full tannic support that you can drink today as well as 20 years from now.

Both the Cabernet Sauvignon and Agiorgitiko of Skouras’ Megas Oenos are from old-vine vineyards above 2,100 feet in elevation, in Gimno and Corinthia, respectively. The steep altitudes slow the ripening process, allowing the grapes to gently develop aromatics and flavors on a complexity level that one wouldn’t find at the $25.99 price-point anywhere else in world. The 2013 Skouras Megas Oenos is a shimmering example of the incredible values one finds among the wines of Greece — which Parker’s Wine Advocate recognized in predicting it would prove a “huge bargain.”

Brilliant deep-purple. Pure and intense aromas of black cherries, blackberries, cedar, and leather hint at the wine’s complex nature. Rich, round, and weighty with dusty, framing tannins give way to flavors of black fruits, black pepper, and dried herbs. Finishes with a cleansing acidity and mile-long length. Drink now to 2040.

92 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and currently on many of Manhattan’s finest wine lists for quadruple the price. The price today on WineAccess? $25.99/bottle. Shipping included on 4. Value like this cannot be found anywhere else but Greece.