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.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Red plums, oranges, strawberries and tea leaves on the nose. It’s sleek, juicy and fruity with a medium body and fine, chalky tannins. Fresh and mineral.
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Wine Enthusiast
The perfect red wine to serve with a slight chill, this elegant bottle from northwestern Greece has invitingly fresh cranberry, raspberry and cherry aromas. The bright tangerine and cherry flavors on the lightbodied palate are complemented by dried herbs and the faintest whisper of cloves, an indication of the 12 months the wine spends in oak before release. It’s made entirely from Xinomavro, a deeply pigmented indigenous red grape, farmed on highelevation plots. Ideal for pairing with all sorts of salty cheeses, meats and other full-flavored fare, it finishes long and bright. The story behind the wine is almost as compelling as what’s in the glass. It’s named after a locally protected species of hedgehog. The Macedonian winery’s footprint dates to 1997, when it was founded by esteemed enologist Angelos Iatridis.
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Wine Spectator
A plummy, medium-bodied red, balanced and fresh, with notes of raspberry and candied black cherry, dried dill and orange peel. Reveals light, supple tannins on the spiced finish. Drink now. 6,720 cases made, 1,200 cases imported.
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.
As one of the few continental-climate, mountainous growing areas of Greece, Macedonia produces notable, high-quality red wines. Xinomavro is its star variety, capable of making a spicy and age-worthy red.