2015 Domaine Glinavos - Paleokerisio (85 pts)

- Probably one of the geekiest wines I have tasted in awhile. Medium onion skin color. Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of yeast, marzipan, dried apricots, green olives, and peach fruit tea. The wine is medium dry, the bubbles are fairly faint but did help lift aromatics. The acidity was medium+, low alcohol, low tannins, and medium body. Palate was pretty straight forward peach fruit tea, almost Arnold Palmer (lemonade tea mix), dried apricots, sultana, and heavy yeast notes. Overall this was interesting and could be fun on a warm day. Imagine a sour beer had a baby with a skin contact natural wine fermented in an amphora, this would be it. Semi-Sparkling semi-dry orange wine from Greece. Yes this is how I choose to spend my 💰🤓! Made from Debina (white ~97%) and Vlahiko (red ~3%) grapes.

 2015 Domaine Glinavos - Paleokerisio (85 pts) #winereview -

Have you ever heard about the grape variety, Xinomavro? Either if you answer yes or no, you’re not alone - many people outside Greece are not familiar with this local variety, which is a shame. It’s most found in the Macedonia-region, northern Greece, where it’s often offering high quality wines reminding a lot of the Piedmontese Nebbiolo-based wines. Xinomavro and Nebbiolo are so closely related (flavour wise), that they can often be mistaken from each other when tasting them blind. Taken that in consideration, these re a great value wines, that I recommend everybody to try. I blinded some friends: 5 guessed Nebbiolo, 1 guessed Sangiovese.

Found has been making wine since 1992, mainly focusing on the different ways to show of the unique Xinomavro.

This Xinomavro are harvested from one single vineyard located in the heart of Noussa, Nea Strantza, and lies at an altitude of 200 metres on a very sandy loam soil.

The wine is aged 1 year in French oak and 1 year in the bottle before release.

Notice the color and the alcoholic level, btw… Wow!

The bouquet was a little closed to start with, but developed into a rich and powerful, yet elegant, dusty and fresh nose offering wild cherry, raspberry, lots of rose petals and hibiscus, dry clay pot, tomato stem, mild wood, fresh leather, tar and grounded coffee.

The palate was medium minus-bodied with powerful, dusty tannins (way softer on the second day) and a great, mouthwatering acidity with a taste of cherry and redcurrant, complimented by menthol, truffle, greens olives, mild mushrooms, hazelnut, orange peel and pepper with a balsamic finish.  It was already drinking superbly at the moment, but for sure it would improve during the next 5-8 years.

 ⭐️87/100⭐️ Ktima Foundi Xinomavro, 2015 📍Noussa, Macadonia

First glasses raised in celebration of democracy had to be Greek 🥂

3rd generation winemaker Manolis Garalis focuses on crafting wines that express the unique volcanic terroir of Lemnos Island in the northern Aegean Sea.

Vines were planted between 1972-2015, are 150 meters in elevation, with “volcanic soil poor in nutrients, with some limestone”. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, 4 months of skin contact in stainless steel +1 month skin contact in old oak, unfined and unfiltered.

Pale orange in colour, very aromatic; with peach, orange, apricot, lemon, pink grapefruit, citrus blossom, chamomile, nutmeg, coriander seed and spearmint.

Pink grapefruit, peach, apricot, mandarin orange, fig, white flowers, clover honey and a beam of citrus acidity are accented by saline minerality and a steak of bitter almond.

Light green tea tannins fuse with pink grapefruit and spearmint on the flinty finish.

Manolis Garalis ‘Terra Ambera’ Lemnos PDO 2019

 First glasses raised in celebration of democracy had to be

Near legendary Mount Olympus, in Tyrnavos, Stergios Papras is at the forefront of reviving and increasing recognition of the Black Muscat Tyrnavos.

Hand-harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts, vinified in stainless steel on the skins for 2 weeks. Unfined, unfiltered, minimal amount of SO2. ‘Oreads’ are nymphs that live in the mountains.

Coral ruby in colour, very aromatic; strawberry raspberry, red grape, black current, rose petal, warm summer earth.

Strawberry, cherry, raspberry, red grape, blood orange, coriander, saline minerality are framed by light green tea tannins and bright acidity. Grapefruit and pomegranate infuse the crisp finish.

Papras ‘Oreads’ Black Muscat Tyrnavos 2020

 Near legendary Mount Olympus, in Tyrnavos, Stergios Papras

A pioneering force for organic viticulture and indigenous grapes, Stergios Papras was one of the first winemakers to receive organic certification in Greece.

His 4.5 hectare estate is located near legendary Mount Olympus, in Tyrnavos.

Vineyards are rich in limestone soils. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in tank, fermentation finished in the bottle.

Coral ruby in colour, with aromas of strawberry, cherry, raspberry, rose, musk, orange zest and herbs.

Citrus acidity glosses strawberry, cherry, red currant, lemon, candied rose petal and a trace of sage.

Fine, consistent fizz diffuses thru to black currant and pink grapefruit on the snappy, fizzy finish.

Papras ‘Melanthia’ Rosé Tyrnavos 2019

 A pioneering force for organic viticulture and indigenous

Committed to preserving the environment, in 2012, Ktima Brintziki “became the first green winery in Greece, using geothermal and solar energy for heating and cooling, and utilizing only organic and sustainable farming practices”. They have a zero-energy footprint.

Red-violet in colour with aromas of strawberry, black cherry, jalapeño and cigar box spice.

Cherry, strawberry, blackberry and roasted herbs are glazed with chipotle pepper, complimented by good acidity and tannins. Dark fruit, spice and earthy bitterness linger on the plush finish.

Interesting, super spicy and easy to pair with a wide variety of dishes.

Ktima Brintziki ‘Melios’ Red Ilia PGI 2015