Description
Rising Star Award 2022, Decanter Magazine “Apostolos Thymiopoulos, based in Naoussa in Macedonia, northern Greece, is far more than a fabulously talented winemaker. He has become the ambassador for Greece’s new wines and winemakers, taking Greece beyond the southern Mediterranean and establishing it on international markets. Further, he has done this through his transformation of Xinomavro, a red grape likely unfamiliar to most, and seen as overwhelmingly tannic by many of those who have come across it. Thymiopoulos has propelled the hitherto relatively obscure region of Naoussa and its formerly unloved grape variety to success in global markets; it’s an exceptional achievement.” Sarah Jane Evans – Decanter
The Thymiopoulos family has been in agriculture and grape-growing in the village of Trilofos for generations. Apostolos Thymiopoulos was the first to vinify the family vineyards while studying oenology.
The Thymiopoulos vineyards are located in Trilofos, a village on the foothills of Vermio mountain, a place in perfect harmony with nature, offering wines that reflect their origin. All the vineyards are farmed organically, following biodynamic practices selected after careful assessment of their impact on the vine. These methods allow them to preserve biodiversity in the vineyards.
Apostolos Thymiopoulos’ brilliant Xinomavros are among Greece’s most renowned wines. He has mastered the grape variety like nobody else. Apostolos devotes himself exclusively to xinomavro, the emblematic variety of the Naoussa region, expressing “terroir” as well as the craftsmanship of the “vigneron”.
Xinomavro doesn’t leave room for mistake, either in the vineyard, or in the winery. Vinified according to the rules of the art, xinomavro yields acid, tannic yet ethereal, long lived wines with a distinctive aromatic profile. Thymiopoulos offers different expressions of the xinomavro variety, all vinified with absolute respect to the grape. Each wine produced reflects the specificity of the parcel it originates from.
About this wine: 100% Xinomavro. Blend of the best parcels of the estate. Grown on 45-year-old vines, 70% from the warmer Trilofos region (150 – 250 metres altitude), and 30% from cooler Fytia village (450 – 650 metres), this is Apostolos’ most ethereal red wine with remarkable focus and charm. Not dissimilar to fine red burgundy, this Greek red has aromas of black slate and red fruit, with silky tannins and intense acidity.
Grown on limestone with schist and clay top-soil, warm climate tempered by the Mediterranean winds and by the air flowing down from Vermio mountain play a determinant role in the ripening period, protecting the grapes by maintaining low temperatures. High altitude and big diurnal range around Fytia village add complexity and finesse to the blend. Grapes are 60% de-stemmed, macerated for 40 days and fermentation has been completed with indigenous yeasts. Matured for 18 months in third-use, 500-litre French oak barrels.
Earth & Sky remains the benchmark wine of the estate—first produced in 2005—and a reference point for what Xinomavro can be: aromatic, structured, and undeniably true to Naoussa, with poise and ageworthiness.
RRP $79 Our Special Price $61.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
