Costa Lazaridi Amethystos Red 2022

Drink it now or cellar for up to 20 years. It is recommended to decant it for half an hour. Located in the Drama region of Eastern Macedonia, Domaine Costa Lazaridi has been producing some of Greece's most prestigious wines from international and indigenous grapes since 1986, the year its modern winery was built. The company's wines, which have received more than 600 awards in international competitions, include four wine families: Amethystos, Chateau Julia, Oenotria Land and Domaine Costas Lazaridis. Costa Lazaridi Amethystos Red is a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, with additions of Merlot and the indigenous Agiorgitiko variety. The wine ages for 12 months in French oak barrels, 25% of which are new, to ensure perfect integration of the fruity varietal aromas and the woody notes. The wine shows an intense and brilliant purple-red color. The bouquet is intense and reveals complex aromas of ripe berries, sweet spices, plums and chestnut jam, dried fruit, and coffee. On the palate, it is full-bodied and harmonious, round and velvety with a subtle note of oak and flavors of ripe fruit and licorice. The body is full, the tannins are soft. The finish is warm and persistent. It is a full-bodied wine that goes well with red meats, especially lamb chops or shanks, beef stew, or intensely flavored soft cheeses such as Brie or Camembert.

Price: £18.65 from 8wines UK