Anatolikos 2018 Natural Orange Wine 750ml

The 2018 Orange Wine is an 80/20 blend of Assyrtiko and Malagousia aged in clay amphorae. It comes in with 3.2 grams of residual sugar, 6.4 grams of total acidity and 14% alcohol. It was fermented in amphorae on the skins for 270 days without sulfur and bottled unfiltered. This seems to show a bit differently out of the gate than the 2017, emphasizing its fruit more than its power—even though the statistics are very similar. This has a richer and riper feel, with that intense concentration of fruit, but not the same intensity. As it warmed, it became richer still, losing some of the lively feel of the chilled wine (around 52 degrees Fahrenheit) and replacing it with that big, very ripe Assyrtiko flavor. I like this about as much—maybe more—than last year's wine overall. This will likely be the pick of most people for the fruitiness. I would add for those who are not familiar with the style, this is different. You'll like it or you won't, but it's not quite a typical table wine. It will go great with certain types of food.

Score: 91 points -- Mark Squires, The Wine Advocate, 2019