April 17, 2024 - Very pleasant and drinkable. Tannins are smooth and unobtrusive. Medium weighted. Cherry and pinot noir like. Good value.
April 8, 2024 - Had it with roast duck. Was desperate for a weekday drink so opened this. Smoky, ripe cherry, some oak, balanced tannins. Good alternative to Pinot noir.
March 26, 2024 - Keep in mind that I’m not used to drinking a lot of Greek wine. I’ve had tastings at big events but they have generally left me underwhelmed. This wine blew my socks off! Deep ruby in colour, more than I would have expected, but it is only 2021 vintage. For a supposedly tannic wine, the tannins were obvious but not intrusive. Big blast of raspberry. Some pepper also, and a slight eucalyptus. We had some green olives with the wine which enhanced the fruit and eucalyptus notes in the wine, in a good way. The aftertaste was long lasting. Wine Society at £24 is amazing value as well. Aired for an hour before drinking, and slightly chilled.
February 5, 2024 - 1 heure d’aeration. Le vin s’est ouvert, mais aurait pu prendre encore plus d’air. Moins éclatant que le 2020, mais un excellent RQP.
February 1, 2024 - 2e bouteille ouverte, un peu d’évolution depuis 1 an, avec des notes animales et de sous-bois plus marquées. On est moins sur le fruit et plus sur la complexité, ce Xinomavro ne cesse de me surprendre. Par contre, les tannins légèrement plus fondus rendent le vin un peu moins frais que par le passé.
January 31, 2024 - Tasted at the Grove restaurant in Auckland as part of the wine accompaniment to the 8 course tasting menu.
Served in a Riedel PN glass which brought out a very attractive bouquet of black fruit and also some violets. Quite a dark color. Round,quite intense and long on the palate where it finishes quite earthy with good tannin grip.(which seems to come more from the fruit than the oak) Went very well with the duck served alongside.
January 19, 2024 - not a big expert in xinomavro or Greece.
took a while to open up and show aromas of plum, dried plum, rose, leather a bit of tobacco
smooth tannins, balanced with a pleasant bitter aftertaste.
would have been better in a few years
January 14, 2024 - Smoky cherries on the nose.
Good cedar.
Medium bodied.
Bracing acidity at the finish.
Structured tannins but not overpowering.
None of the usual tomato I associate with xinomavro made by Thymiopoulos but still good nonetheless. He has yet to disappoint my olfaction and gustation
Although from memory Rapsani probably edges this wine for me. A side by side may be what's required.
TWS £24
January 13, 2024 - Fascinating wine. It started off abysmally; heavy tannin and grip yet diametrically thin with no body whatsoever. Half an hour in and it was lusciously thick. I’ve never experienced that of a wine before.
The nose is full strawberry and cranberry while the palate is incredibly juicy and insatiably moreish. There’s a herbal aspect as well as some leather and earth. It may not be the most complex of wines but what does exist is assertively powerful.
This is a clash of titans. The laid back nature of Pinot Noir meets the full force of Nebbiolo tannin. Brilliant wine. I have immediately ordered another three.
January 2, 2024 - Beau petit vin frais et léger
qui se boit à grande lampée,
pas le plus long mais sans accroc.
Bien.