Wine is its own language, and sometimes it happens to be Greek. This can be frightening given its profusion of syllables (to be fair, German pronunciation has its own obstacles; the word trockenbeerenauslese comes to mind). Still, if one can subvert their phobia of foreign languages, Greek wine affords an abundance of pleasure at a price that reflects the populace’s aversion to saying words they can’t pronounce. Georgakopoulos Estate Malagouzia 2008 happens to be exactly this type of wine: a white that’s full on flavor and distinctiveness yet greatly undervalued.

The family-run Georgakopoulos Estate was founded in 2000 in the area of Mendenitsa in central Greece. Located 7.5 miles from the sea, the village is home to the remains of a beautiful medieval castle. The rolling hills are situated at altitude of 450-600 m (1300-1900 ft) and provide the perfect aspect for ripening the international and indigenous grape varieties grown on the property.

Malagouzia (or Malagousia, depending on who you ask) is a rare Greek grape variety that had almost gone extinct in the mid-20th century. Had it not been for the work of winemaker Vangelis Gerovassiliou and viticulturalist Vassilis Logothetis, the grape would have surely been lost as would the wonderful wines its capable of producing. Vino’s unscientific estimate places the number of estates that cultivate this obscure but delicious wine at less than two dozen. So what’s it taste like? Imagine Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier had a baby. It’s unoaked, ripe and lush. It is a wine a that is every bit as much about texture and weight as flavor.

As you’d expect, you won’t find this wine everywhere. There’s even a dearth of information about it online. Of course, Georgakopoulos Estate does have its own Facebook page. And the good news is that it’s in English.

Georgakopolous Estate Malagouzia 2008
$16

For more information and please call 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.