Naoussa Alta, Xinomavro, Apostolos Thymiopoulos, Greece, 2018

Tasting Note

Pale ruby ​​and garnet hues. Full of juicy red fruit and spice hints – strawberry, cherry, , lavender, clove, cinnamon, star anise and tomatoes. On the palate, a medium to light body, good acidity and  juicy tannins. Red fruits on the palate with some spice and tomato again. Very toothsome and silky, long.

Producer Info

The Thymiopoulos family have been growing grapes in the Naoussa region of Greek Macedonia for generations, but it was Apostolos’ father Sergios who began growing them commercially to sell to local wineries. Whilst his father made a concerted effort to focus on improving quality, it was Apostolos himself who seized the opportunity to begin making wines under the family name. Having studied oenology in Athens he returned home and in 2003 he commenced production, with his first vintage released in 2005.

From an early stage, Apostolos focused on the local Xinomavro grape, a red variety that gives wines which are pale in colour, yet high in tannins, somewhat akin to Nebbiolo. Looking to take advantage of the old bush vines his family owned, he sought to produce high-quality modern examples of this indigenous variety.

Thymiopoulos’ vineyards are located around Trilofos in Naoussa, a forested area which experiences cold winters and hot summers; climatically it shares much in common with the Bordeaux wine region of France. Over time Apostolos has increased the family vineyard holdings, whilst still maintaining the same low-intervention approach to viticulture of previous generations. His methods incorporate organic and biodynamic practices; guinea fowls and turkeys are used for pest control and the use of herbicides is avoided. In the winery fermentation is carried out using wild yeast and the wines are bottled unfiltered, with only the minimum addition of sulphur.

Reviews

Jancis Robinson 16.5/20

93/100 Decanter July 2020