Grapes – 100% Xinomavro   

Tasted 7^th February 2014

This Greek bio-dynamic pale red had lovely aromas of leather and Bramble.  It tasted of black fruit with winter spices and an interesting hint of black treacle on the sound finish. With solid acidity and tannins this is a good food wine; hard goat’s cheese or slow roast red meats will do this wine justice.

Xinomavro (pro-nounced k-SEE NOH ma vro) means ‘acidic and black’. This characteristics of this late ripening grape is high acidity and high tannin, which means it has the possibility of aging well. Naoussa and Goumenissa produce the best full bodied spicy reds.

Critics comments:

With gorgeous briar-fruit and spicy aromas, this robust red is ideal for Barolo fans on a budget. Wild and wonderful wine. Olly Smith, (Vintage 2011)

This humble but arresting Greek is made from the tart xinomavro grape grown in northern Greece. Your first taste of quirky biodynamic xinomavro, like this gamey, thyme and rose-scented, oak-aged 2011, will come as a shock, but persevere as there are lots of festive spiced meats that cry out for this pale, 14 per cent alcohol red. Jane MacQuitty, The Times (Vintage 2011)

“Apostolos Thymiopoulos, 31 years old, is without a doubt the rising star of Naoussa. His vines, cultivated according to biodynamic farming methods at an altitude of 180 m in the southern sector of the appellation, are blessed with a goodly amount of sunshine. The terrain is comprised of Naoussa’s most geologically complex soils, made of lime-rich marlstone, schist and granite. Thymiopoulos focuses on expressing the freshness of the grapes and giving each vintage a unique signature. He shuns filtering and extraction and his wines are aged in vats and barrels the old-fashioned way. His Ghi ke Uranos (’earth and sky’) elaborated from forty-year-old vines, is a magnificent and complex vintage with a bouquet of liquorice and mint and notes of cedar and dark berry fruits. His younger vines produce a delectable, silky wine that is wonderful with local sheep’s milk cheeses.”http://travel.michelin.com/web/destination/Greece/news-The_fine_red_wines_of_Naoussa (accessed 07/02/14)

Suppliers:

Marks and Spencers £10.49

Debra Meiburg MW talks on the Xinomavro grape