“The 2019 Xinomavro Hedgehog Vineyard was aged for 12 months in 50% new French barriques. It comes in at 14.02% alcohol. This feels a little delicate in the mid-palate, but it expands in the glass and coats the palate nicely eventually. Silky and bright, it has a fresh feel and a lively demeanor. The tannins are ripe here, not getting in the way too much, even with very young Xinomavro. The freshness is the biggest selling point. The acidity creates a juicy finish with the fruit lifted on the palate. This seems like a pretty nice Hedgehog this year. It should hold another decade or so, give or take. Xinomavro does not die easily.”-90WA, 2022-2032

Xinomavro comes from the words xino (sour) and mavro (black). As matter of fact, the skin of its berries does not possess any particularly rich tint. Be that as it may, Xinomavro surprises with its performance and multi-faceted personality. “Finicky” and demanding, Xinomavro is in need of the appropriate terroir, increasing care in cultivation, low yields per hectare, and the right weather conditions in order to reveal itself in all its glory.

Located in the heart of Amyndeon in northwestern Greece, winemaker Angelos Iatrides established Alpha Estate in 1997. Working with a mix of international and indigenous varieties, Angelos crafts some of the most desirable wines in the region using his extremely precise winemaking style. The single-vineyard “Hedgehog” has become the calling card wine for Alpha Estate. The Xinomavro vines were planted in 2000 and are grown in sandy-clay soils. The sandy-clay texture of the soil assures an ideal drainage of the rain water.

Angelo Iatrides maps his vineyards in exceptional detail, so that he can fine-tune the farming down to each vine. That care shows in this wine. This is textbook Xinomavro in the most elegant way; notes of tomato,

Roses and forest floor mingling in its scent. It’s sweet, herbal in flavor, with leather and smoke adding depth to the bright cherry and cranberry fruit, finishing with a cool freshness that lasts. This is a silky and inviting

Xinomavro that makes for a great introduction to the region and Angelos’ deft style.