Wine Region: Naoussa

(2024) 100% Xinomavro from vineyards at an altitude of 150 – 180 metres. After a 24-hour maceration and fermentation, 30% is aged for eight months in American oak barrels. It's a concentrated and intense rosé, quite deep scents of red berries married to spice and a creamy slick of vanilla. In the mouth it has texture and roundness, a supple weight and fullness of fruit. Again, creamy, a touch custardy, the oak adding a smoothing underpinning to the fruit. A nice style this.

(2024) 100% Xinomavro from vineyards in the prime Naoussa region, the natural pressure of grapes in the tank produces free-run juice, and a press is not used. Low temperature fermentation is followed by 'gentle' aging in French oak barrels for a year. A little softness of colour on the rim of this 2019 wine, aged character on the nose too with an autumnal leafiness, Pinot-like hints of truffle and undergrowth and fruit in the red spectrum. This drinks really nicely, mellow and developed, pulpy berry fruit backed up by a little firmness to the tannins and a bite of acidity, spicy into the finish.

(2022) From Naoussa, this is Thymiopoulos's introduction to Xinomavro, with 25% whole bunch fermentation and eight months ageing in concrete and stainless steel. Juicy and uncomplicated, there's a little tapenade and fresh black berry fruits. Light in colour and in texture, the palate is soft, sweet, the tannins liquoricy but gentle, and the whole picture bright as a summery button. No blockbuster, but that's rather the point. Serve lightly chilled a la Beaujolais.

(2022) Sourced from the high-altitude vineyards, this spent eight months in French oak vats. Still that relatively pale and tranluscent colour, more sweet damp earth and leafiness as well as that tapendade and sun-dried tomato character which is savoury and appealing. The palate has sweet summery tomato character but a ripe, red berry fruitiness. Delightful brisk tannins and acidity are gentle but persistent.

(2021) From a winery seen as a bastion of traditional, more tannic Naoussa, this spends 12 months in French oak, 40% new, but fully 30 months more ageing in bottle before release. More brick and amber to the colour here, some leafy, slightly green-flecked aromas, herbs and seeds and plummy, olive-touched fruit. On the palate the 2016 fruit is really sweet, creamy and forward, though it butts against strident tannins and acidity, the sides of the mouth drying, but that holds the fruit together in a powerful, structured food wine.

(2021) A very small production for this wine, from a winery producing a total of 13,000 bottles annually. Vines here are 40 years old, it spends two years in French oak, 40% of which is new. A slightly deeper ruby colour again, lots of pencil shavings and dustiness on the nose over black fruits, a little bit of old rose perfume somewhere in there. The palate has lovely fruit: supple and ripe, that cedary quality is on the palate too, the tannins grippy and dry adding an edge. Arguably slightly austere acidity might be too much, but the fruit weight and suppleness really does make for a big, satisfying wine.

(2021) Organically certified, this comes from a winery founded in 1840 and one of the oldest in the region. It was made in stainless steel, then aged only six months in French and Hungarian oak, a variety of barrel ages and sizes. The current winemaking member of the family trained in Burgundy. Ruby with a broad rim that is slightly faded. A very fragrant wine, with all sorts of exotically floral, incense-like notes, some herbaceous twigs and briar and pomegranate fruit. In the mouth there's a sweet, soft and enveloping pool of spicy fruit. It has medium length, crunchy tannins and good acidity, and is a distinctive wine indeed.

(2021) Vineyards at 280 - 330 metres, 80% of the blend spends 16 months in French and American oak barriques, the remainder in larger 500-litre barrels. Medium ruby red, light on the rim. There's a crushed raspberry and juicy black berry fruit here, boldy fruity with some background spice and that characteristic floral/violet lift. At 14.5% this is warmed by the alcohol, filling the mouth with substantial sweet fruit, maybe feeling the tiniest bit pruney to me, but the freshness of the acid and tannin does balance.

(2021) Only 12.5% alcohol here as opposed to the Thymiopoulos at 14%, so quite a different style. It's a 2015, but the colour is dramatically lighter, maybe just a touch of brick-colour on the rim. It is made in stainless steel, though the final 12 months of its 26-month ageing is in Hungarian oak. More truffle and and undergrowth, light fudge-character, again, the floral lift to the red fruits is there. In the mouth it has softness to the fruit, although the Xinomavro acidity and dusty, fine tannins add plenty of savour and grip. Very elegant and nicely balanced.

(2021) From quite high altitude vineyards at 350 - 450-metres in the south of the Naoussa region. It was fermented with wild yeasts and spent 18 months in larger, 500-litre older barrels. Some ruby warmth and lightness to the colour, the nose nicely lifted, incense, florals and spices, something of red liquorice too. Abundant sweetness on the palate, a really juicy, racy burst of juicy fruit, the acidity is punchy and the tannins give a nicely sandy grip. The oak underpins giving a plummy, creamy layer in a fairly large-scaled but fruit-filled wine.