Cephalonia is a relatively large Greek island in the Ionian Sea, to the west of the city of Patras and roughly two-thirds toward the south of the mainland. Robola is a high-quality cultivar that shows beautifully in this bottling, with pale golden color, body on the light- to medium-bodied portion of the spectrum, subtle aromatics recalling orchard fruits (fresh apricot above all), and virtually perfect balance of acidity and fruit sweetness. Superbly versatile like so many Greek whites, this has lots of underlying mineral nuances and is delightful to sip on its own, or with raw or cooked shellfish, but also has enough palate impact for many white-fleshed finfish dishes. Terrific, and enduringly interesting.
Orealios Gaea, Robola of Cephalonia (Greece) 2022
By Michael Franz