Greece — wine
Naoussa PDO
Macedonia, northern Greece. Home of Xinomavro — 'acid black' — Greece's answer to Nebbiolo. High acid, high tannin, garnet colour with orange rim. Aged aromas: dried tomato, earth, leather, smoked meat. Mount Vermion slopes are the appellation's heartland. Thymiopoulos is the most critically acclaimed modern producer. Xinomavro ages 20+ years in the right hands — criminally undervalued internationally. BC importer: check locally with Greek specialty distributors [NEEDS VERIFICATION].
Benchmark products
Vintage assessments
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | very_good |
| 2022 | 87 | Very good. Warm vintage. Xinomavro richness elevated. Less austere, more immediately appealing. |
| 2021 | 85 | Good. Standard quality across the appellation. Northern Greek climate providing freshness. |
| 2020 | 89 | Very good. Clean growing season. Xinomavro with excellent structure and acid. Age-worthy quality. |
| 2019 | 87 | Good. Reliable year. Single-vineyard wines from Alpha Estate and Thymiopoulos performing well. |
| 2018 | 88 | Very good. Classic Naoussa character — demanding in youth, great with 8-10 years. Excellent terroir expression. |
| 2017 | 90 | Excellent. Warm vintage. Xinomavro more approachable, less austere. Alpha Estate Xinomavro Hedgehog outstanding. |
| 2016 | 88 | Very good Naoussa. Xinomavro at classic best — sour cherry, tomato, structured tannin. Boutari and Alpha Estate strong. |