Petrakopoulos Palia Armakia Robola of Kefalonia 2023

Petrakopoulos makes Palia Armakia from Robola, the flagship white grape of Kefalonia in the Ionian islands of Greece, farmed organically. Robola grows here on rocky, mountainous limestone slopes, where the vines root into stony, low-fertility ground that gives low yields of concentrated fruit with high acidity and a marked mineral character. The name Palia Armakia refers to the old dry-stone terraces that hold these vineyards on the hillsides. The wine is aged in stainless steel. The inert tanks keep out oxygen and add no oak, so the fresh citrus fruit and the wine's stony, saline signature come through cleanly and directly. It shows pale straw with green glints, with a nose of lemon, green apple, white flowers and a distinct wet-stone minerality. The palate is dry and crisp, with bright citrus fruit over a firm, flinty core and a saline lift, closing on a long, mineral finish. This is a fresh, cut, island white shaped by limestone and altitude. Serve well chilled at 9 to 11 degrees in a white-wine glass.