OenosNature Naoussa 2018

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 established the principles biodynamic to the estate to produce wines without chemical inputs and respectful of the land.

This red wine made from Xinomavro , a native Greek grape variety, comes from 3 plots of vines in the south of Naoussa . The vines are cultivated organically with complete respect for the environment. After the manual harvest, the wine ferments with its indigenous yeasts and is vinified without sulfites or other chemical additives. It will age for 1 and a half years in stainless steel vats. This wine reveals notes of dried tomato , strawberry jam, violet , cherry , cranberry , pomegranate and dried herbs . The palate is juicy, energetic with smooth tannins and a digestible finish.

Long known as small table wines, notably Retsina, a white wine infused with pine resin, Greek wines have risen in quality over the past 20 years. The history of wine is as old as that of Greece. More than 3,000 years ago, traces of the world's oldest grape presses were found on the island of Crete. After stagnating throughout the 20th century, Greek wines have experienced a dazzling improvement in quality thanks to its entry into the European Union, the training of young oenologists in very good European schools and a particular attention to international demand. It does not want to fall into the easy route of 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 promote its ancient grape varieties which are estimated to 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 realize. The country clearly has everything from arid Mediterranean islands to humid, mountainous pine forests that receive snowfall in the winter. With such a diverse climate, you can expect Greek wines to be quite diverse as well. Thus, one of the best ways to get an idea of Greek wine is to divide the country into four general wine-growing zones based on their climate: Northern Greece (humid climate), the Aegean Islands (arid climate), Central Greece, and Southern Greece (Mediterranean climate). The potential and reputation is greatly underestimated today in the eyes of the general public, which may lead to some pleasant surprises!