Skouras Moscofilero 2022 (Greece) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a lovely Moscofilero from Greece that is brand-new to the LCBO, arriving at LCBO outlets across Ontario as part of last weekend's LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on April 13th.

Like the excellent 2022 Skouras Wild Ferment Assyrtiko I enjoyed late last year, this white wine is also produced by Domaine Skouras, a well-known and highly regarded winery that was founded in 1986 by George Skouras. Born in Argos, within the Peloponnese region in southern Greece, George is from one of Europe's oldest towns with a rich, 3,000-year-old tradition of wine and culture.

George's interest in wine led him to study Agriculture at the University of Dijon, in Burgundy, France, where he encountered Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and famous local winegrowers that put a spell on him. After graduating with a degree in Oenology, George set out to gain experience in the classic wine-producing regions of France, Italy, and Greece. Upon returning home in Greece, he realized his dream of having his own winery - a small winemaking facility which was located in the small village of Pyrgela, on the outskirts of Argos.

Mr. Skouras then created a boutique winery within the Nemea Appellation of northeastern Peloponnese, where he put in countless hours of manual work to learn about the Agiorgitiko variety and the Nemea denomination. These lessons were invaluable as Domaine Skouras is, today, an ultra-modern winery located in the highlands of Argolida, an area that is blessed with ideal winegrowing conditions, particularly for Agiorgitiko. Situated near the winery is the PDO of Mantinia, where this white wine is from, which has a Mediterranean climate with continental influences, and is one of the coldest PDO zones in Greece. Moschofilero is the primary varietal grown in Mantinia.

With great skill, George Skouras is dedicated to crafting high-quality wines that showcase Greek terroir. The philosophy at Domaine Skouras is focused on purity, varietal clarity, tracing of the region's mesoclimate, and imprint of the terroir, with the aim of achieving optimum ripeness and obtaining the best possible grape, as the better the fruit is at harvest, the better the wine. Domaine Skouras crafts wines using grapes from not only their own vineyards, but also from select, quality-oriented growers who are under the guidance of the Skouras viticulture team. Skouras embraces modern techniques, while putting a strong emphasis on minimal intervention in the winemaking process.

This white wine is crafted with 100% Moscofilero that was grown in the district of PGI Arcadia, within the wine region of Peloponnese. More specifically, the grapes were grown at the high altitude of 2,400 feet above sea level at their vineyards in Mantinia, just northeast of central Peloponnese. The Moscofilero vines are 32 years of age and planted on sandy soil. After harvesting the grapes at the end of September, the juice had skin contact for 4 hours, with more than half free-run juice due to the colour on skins. It underwent fermentation in stainless steel vats, followed by a short maturation over fine lees. Let's see how this 2022 Moscofilero from Greece is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

SKOURAS MOSCOFILERO 2022 - PGI Arcadia, Greece (#27154) (XD) - $19.95
The fragrant, highly aromatic nose offers very pretty yellow and white florals, lychee, musky, anise, and orange blossom aromas layered over citrus and grapefruit notes. It's medium+ to medium-full bodied on the dry, well-structured palate with lovely honeyed, musky, floral, pear-apple, lychee, spice, and citrus flavours with impressive complexity. It has a slightly viscous-textured mouthfeel supported by fresh, juicy acidity. Leesy mineral notes accented with spice, floral, and citrus linger on the long, persistent finish. Enjoy this fantastic, highly recommended buy over the next 4+ years. Score: 90+ pts

Other fine wines by Domaine Skouras are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Kolonaki Fine Wines & Spirits.