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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James Suckling
Dried roses, cranberries, licorice and lemon rind on the nose, followed by a medium-bodied, elegant and vibrant palate. Very sleek tannins. Vegan.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Alpha Estate 2022 Amyndeon Xinomavro Hedgehog Single Vineyard reveals a lean appearance and a light garnet color. The bouquet opens to ripe aromas of strawberry jam and raspberry tart. These give the wine a very simple or basic character that does eventually develop in the glass to show background tones of sweet spice, rust and pressed rose. If you can get beyond that initial hint of over-ripeness, this wine delivers a pretty drinking style to pair with appetizers or simple meat dishes. This estate demonstrates special care in its use of oak, and this wine matures in French barrel (medium-grain, light toasting) for 12 months. The Amyndeon appellation sits on a plateau of white rocks, and features big clouds in northwestern Macedonia. This specific site rests at a cool 690 meters in elevation, facing Lake Petron and Mount Voras.
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.