CHUÂTEAU JULIA ASSYRTIKO
PATRICK'S SCORE: 89
VALUE: Excellent (9/10)
APPROXIMATE PRICE: $19
PAIRING: anything Greek: Moussaka, fresh pan-seared fish, Gyros...
The ancient Greek Assyrtiko grape has grown up with Greek food for millenia: you can't go wrong. Even a Greek-inspired braised lamb will cause this wine to sing.
This steely, wonderful Assyrtiko has a long name: Domaine Costa Lazaridi 2016 Château Julia Assyrtiko. The gorgeous winery lies in northern Greece north of the Aegean Sea near the village of Drama, about halfway between the coastal city of Thessaloniki and the Turkish border. Can't wait to see it in person someday.
I noticed pineapple and a touch of salt on the palate. It's an outstanding example of the wine, more clean and less flabby, and completely unoaked. It's proudly Greek, despite this bottle's oddly French-looking name. Probably that's in order to market more effectively to Us Americans. (I do love the gorgeous label.)
We enjoyed this wonderful wine at our neighborhood Greek Islands, one of the best and most authentic Greek restaurants we've encountered outside Greece itself.