Skouras Megas Oenos Red 2018
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Intense deep garnet color with violet highlights. The nose has depth, concentration, complexity, but also finesse. Aromas of red and black fruits. Such as raspberry and cherry, blueberry and blackberry along with spices, tobacco and leather notes. On the palate it is silky but robust with gentle tannins and balanced acidity, the aromas of red and black fruits, cloves, black pepper and a touch of herbs stand out. Long aftertaste with great complexity.
Blend: 80% Agiorgitiko, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A big and rich wine with lots of fruit, tannins and wood. It's full-bodied and a little austere, but should soften with age. A little old-school with so much wood tannin. But outstanding. Non-filtered.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Megas Oenos is a fairly typical 80/20 blend of Agiorgitiko and Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak. It comes in at 14.2% alcohol. Fresh and lively, this elegant Megas Oenos is filled with red fruit flavors surrounded by silky texture, pungent aromatics and ripe tannins. It is very accessible—which has not always been true—leaning hard to the hedonism side of the ledger. This is going to make a lot of tasters swoon because it is simply delicious while still retaining freshness. The bigger question here will be whether it has the wherewithal to age as well as many older vintages did. Is there something more lurking underneath? It will certainly hold nicely throughout the decade, but after that, we'll see. In the meanwhile, let's lean up a bit on this exuberant young wine.
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With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
A large southern region of Greece, the Peloponnese contains the famous appellations of Nemea and Mantineia. While connected to the mainland by a tiny strip of land, essentially the region is a large Mediterranean island and excels in the production of red wine from Agiorghitiko, white from Moscofilero and sweet wine from the Mavrodaphne grape.