Alta Naoussa 2021

Apostolos Thymiopoulos , a young and talented winemaker, owns some of the most beautiful vineyards in Naoussa. The Thymiopolos family has been making wine for generations, but the grapes were originally sold to the local cooperative winery. After graduating in Athens with a degree in oenology, Apostolos returned to the estate to change things up a bit. Working with his family, he introduced biodynamic principles to the estate to produce wines that are free of chemical additives and respectful of the terroir.

This vintage comes from the highest altitude Xinomavro vines on the estate, located between 450 and 650 meters. These 25-year-old vines benefit from a cooler climate and grow on schist and granite soils, which gives freshness and minerality to the wines. The harvest is manual and carried out at perfect maturity. In the cellar, the grapes macerate for 18 days before fermentation. Fermentation is then carried out by indigenous yeasts and the wine will age for 1 year in vats and used oak barrels. This wine reveals notes of small plums , strawberry , violet , peony , redcurrant , blackcurrant and blood orange . The palate is pure, elegant and energetic. The tannins are melted, which gives the wine a lot of finesse. The finish is juicy and digestible.

Long known as small table wines, notably with Retsina, a white wine infused with pine resin, Greek wines have increased in quality over the last 20 years. The history of wine is as old as that of Greece. More than 3000 years ago, traces of the oldest grape presses in the world were found on the island of Crete. After stagnation throughout the 20th century, Greek wines experienced a dazzling improvement from a quality point of view thanks to its entry into the European Union, the training of young oenologists in very good European schools and particular attention to international demand. She does not want to take the easy route by using mainly great French grape varieties such as Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon which would greatly facilitate export. Nowadays, Greece wants to continue to cultivate and introduce its ancient grape varieties, which number around 300 in the territory. The very first thing to understand is that Greece is much more diverse in terms of climate than most people think. The country clearly has everything from arid Mediterranean islands to humid, mountainous pine forests that receive snowfall in winter. With such a diverse climate, you can expect Greek wines to be very varied as well. So, one of the best ways to get an idea of ​​Greek wine is to divide the country into four overall wine-growing zones based on their climate: Northern Greece (humid climate), Aegean Islands (arid climate). ), Central Greece and Southern Greece (Mediterranean climate). The potential and reputation are greatly underestimated today in the eyes of the general public, which may bring pleasant surprises!