Lykos Winery, Loup de la Nuit 2023

A few months ago, Lykos Winery’s Loup de Mer made its debut in this very column — and did so triumphantly. Crafted entirely from Vidiano, this elegant white only needs another two or three vintages to fully hit its stride. That time will allow the team at Lykos to deepen their familiarity with cultivating and vinifying the Cretan jewel they have planted in their Evia vineyards.

Its red sibling, Loup de la Nuit, in theory should not require the same learning curve. Made from Syrah and Agiorgitiko — two varieties with which the Malakonta estate has worked for many years — it comes from grapes the winery knows intimately, quirks and all.

This red, aged for 12 months in barrel, lives up to its varietal make-up with a dense, deeply coloured ruby core. That concentration is equally present on the nose, which expresses itself with striking clarity: Syrah’s dark fruits entwined with the hallmark tarragon note of Agiorgitiko, all wrapped in a cloak of dark sugar.

The wine registers 13.5% abv, a figure that underpins its medium-bodied feel with consistency. What proves less harmonious is the oak, which dominates the palate, leaving an unintegrated flavour and a sheath of woody tannins. The length is, paradoxically, impressive — something that under other circumstances would be a virtue, but here only prolongs the dry, austere finish.

The dense character of both varieties finds an excellent fit in the Riedel Vinum Syrah, so it’s no surprise that Loup de la Nuit shows best in this glass. Served at 16–18°C, the oak influence softens, though an hour’s decanting would further aid integration. Given the wine’s astringency, pairing naturally leans towards fatty cuts of meat — a rare Picanha, perhaps, or a Cycladic fennel sausage.

Loup de la Nuit has the hallmarks of quality — concentration and length — to justify its €17 price tag. Yet the historic Evia estate still seems wedded to excessive oak use, a habit that holds back its reds from reaching the same benchmark as its impressive rosés and whites, despite red wine clearly being the family’s great passion.

Score: 6.5/10