Kontozisis A-Grafo Roditis Amber Wine: Another Greek Winner

I'm an ardent fan of Greek wines, and previously wrote an article, Ten Reasons To Drink Greek Wine. We are fortunate in the Boston area to have Greek restaurants with excellent Greek wine lists, such as Krasi, which actually has the largest Greek wine list in the country. We also have a number of wine stores which sell a good variety of interesting and tasty Greek wines.

Recently, I was impressed with the 2020 Kontozisis A-Grafo Roditis Amber Wine ($25). The Kontozisis Organic Vineyards, founded in 1991, is located in the town of Karditsa, in the region of Thessaly, at the foothills of the Agrafa ("Uncharted") Mountain range. Their 11 hectares of vineyards are certified organic and wine production is very low intervention, using only free run juice,  natural yeasts and without any added sulfur. Winemaker Andreas Kontozisis and his partner Aphrodite Tousia are truly dedicated to organics, sustainability, and more natural winemaking. 

The 2020 Kontozisis A-Grafo Roditis Amber Wine, with a 13.5% ABV, is made from 100% Roditis, a pink-skinned berry, which is also the most widely planted white grape in Greece and may be about 2000 years old. It is made in a Ramato style, an old Italian tradition in the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia region which made such wines from Pinot Grigio, which also has a pink (sometimes called grey) skin. Ramato wines are made with lengthy skin contact, essentially similar to amber/orange wines. 

For the A-Grafo, about 70% of the wine spent 3 months with skin contact, and another 30% spent 6 months. It also spent about 7-8 months on the lees in stainless steel tanks. The wine possessed an alluring and complex nose, a blend of fruit and savory notes, and on the palate, that complexity also came through. Citrus, dried fruit and savory notes, with a hint of earthiness. Excellent acidity, smooth and clean, with a lingering and pleasing finish. Each sip brought something new to the palate. It could easily be enjoyed on its own, but would pair well with food as well, such as spicy chorizo and four-cheese ravioli. A very good value and highly recommended!