Alpha Estate Xinomavro 2012 Hedgehog Vineyard, Amyndeon, Greece 🇬🇷

🍇 Xinomavro 100%

🧐 Alcohol 14%

🍁 My Score 92 Points

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Beautiful, expressive nose with aromas of wild berries, black plums, leather, leafy underbrush, spice box and peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, dry, very flavourful, firm grainy tannins and refreshing acidity. The finish is long with spicy black fruit and savoury flavours lingering.

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I purchased this wine over one year ago and was told I should lay it down for a short while to allow the tannins to soften up a bit. I don’t have much experience with Xinomavro, but let me tell you that this wine was such a happy surprise. Beautiful aromatics, superb texture and very flavourful. It more than exceeded my expectations. Wine lovers who are looking for a different kind of experience should consider this beauty. Strongly recommended my wine friends. Cheers 🍷

Boutari Naoussa 2008, PDO Naoussa, Greece

This wine is made with a Greek indigenous grape call Xinomavro, aging took place in French oak for 12 months (225 litre casks) and alcohol comes in at 13.5%.

A pale ruby in the glass, this wine opened up with aromas of raspberry, cherry, plum, licorice, earthy and minerally notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, dry, rustics in the best sense of the word with lively acidity and firm, dusty tannins. Medium length and weight on the finish, bright fruit flavours and a nice tannic grip lingering. For those of you who have never   experienced  Xinomavro before, this one reminds me of two Italian grapes; Aglianico and especially Nebbiolo. This wine is most interesting and a superb value,  strongly recommended to fans of old world wines. It will need a little time  to open up (1 hour decant would be a good idea), as recommended by the winery on its label, best serve at 16-18 °C. Final note, this wine was even better the next day, score 89 points.



*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from Kolonaki Group prior to Vintages New Release of August 17,2013 (023218) at $12.95