Lagorthi is a grape variety that boldly defies preconceptions about Greek whites. For some wine drinkers, Greek white wines are likely to be flat, flabby and lacking in freshness. Lagorthi is leaning close to the other extreme –a dry white wine with great definition, stunning elegance and a crispness that brings to mind north European wines.
Lagorthi is found mainly in Achaia, in the northern Pelopennese. It is producing wines with extremely pale, yellow silver colour, while the nose has moderate intensity but is extremely elegant, focusing on minerality and florality. The palate is lean, coming across with great purity, with high acidity and low alcohol, since it is a variety that can achieve full flavour ripeness at 12% alcohol or below. That transparency of character is respected by the best producers, so Lagorthi is almost never aged in oak and most premium bottlings are single varietal. Nevertheless, very interesting results are obtained in blends with other grapes, like Roditis, that can add richness on the palate.