Winemaker Notes
Bright purple-red color. Complex, typical bouquet of small berries, red fruits, leather and spices (vanilla, pepper, clove), with hints of ripe blackberry. Full mouth, rounded tannins, balanced acidity and well integrated wood tones. Long aftertaste with intense quince aroma.
Perfect match with juicy red barbecued meats, spicy sausages, red baked peppers in olive oil, stew rabbit, light spicy fool body cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Xinomavro Hedgehog Vineyard was aged for 12 months in an equal mixture of new and second use French oak and comes in at 12.8% alcohol. If you want to know why this region and grape have a reputation for acidity, this issue certainly shows you. This is one good example. Alpha's Axia is another and the Kir-Yianni Kali Riza yet a third. Silky yet fruity, without a lot of concentration but with enlivening lift to the fruit and plenty of power, this has all those old-school Xinomavro nuances of earth and amber to go with the big hits of acidity. These types of Xinomavro make me think "Nebbiolo" every time. In fact, this often seems to have more rusticity than Alpha's upper-level (and typically more refined) Vielles Vignes bottling. When these old-school types come down the road, you are best off letting them rest a bit and coming back in a few years. The acidity and tannins will preserve them for a long time, perhaps longer than expected, so there is no rush. This is a fine value that does a lot of great things that wines in this price category often do not—but you will need some patience, and it does have to be your style.
Rating: 90+ -
Wine Enthusiast
Raspberry, spicebox and herbal aromas take the lead in Alpha Estate's popular Hedgehog red. On the palate, lush red cherry, pepper and a distinct mineral spin give it poise and purpose. Pair it with grilled meats, pork and tomato dishes.
Editors' Choice -
Wine & Spirits
In an easy, inviting style, this plays up the sun and the breezes of the high, cool Amyndeon plateau, presenting a wine that’s plump with cherry fruit whisked along with brisk acidity. Some mineral tones keep it firm and savory; for lamb souvlaki.
Best Buy
Native to Greece, Xinomavro is widely regarded the finest red wine of the country. Its name literally means “acid black”, and attains fullest potential in the country’s northwest region of Naoussa. These single varietal bottlings of Xinomavro (blending is not allowed here) are often compared to the fine Barolos of Italy for their structure, finesse and age-worthiness. While its vines are fickle and blue-black grapes grow in tight clusters, similar to Nebbiolo, Xinomavro actually appears unrelated. Somm Secret—The use of French oak can help tame Xinomavro but too much can overwhelm it. Some eschew oak entirely during winemaking; other producers use locally-grown walnut.
A picturesque Mediterranean nation with a rich wine culture dating back to ancient times, Greece has so much more to offer than just retsina. Between the mainland and the country’s many islands, a wealth of Greek wine styles exists, made mostly from Greece’s plentiful indigenous varieties. After centuries of adversity after Ottoman rule, the modern Greek wine industry took off in the late 20th century with an influx of newly trained winemakers and investments in winemaking technology.
The climate—generally hot Mediterranean—can vary a bit with latitude and elevation, and is mostly moderated by cool maritime breezes. Drought can be an issue for Greek wine during the long, dry summers, sometimes necessitating irrigation.
Over 300 indigenous grapes have been identified throughout Greece, and though not all of them are suitable for wine production, future decades will likely see a significant revival and refinement of many of these native Greek wine varieties. Assyrtiko, the crisp, saline Greek wine variety of the island of Santorini, is one of the most important and popular white wine varieties, alongside Roditis, Robola, Moschofilero, and Malagousia. Muscat is also widely grown for both sweet and dry wines. Prominent red wine varieties include full-bodied and fruity Agiorghitiko, native to Nemea; Macedonia’s savory, tannic Xinomavro; and Mavrodaphne, used commonly to produce a Port-like fortified wine in the Peloponnese.