The head of Frances ENTAV Etablissement National Technique pour la Amelioration de la Viticulture Jean Michel Boursiquot has discovered in his travels issues that have slipped through the proverbial net Two years ago he visited Australia where he found out that what was thought to be Albarino vines was in fact Savagnin As chronicled in these pages I met JMB in the vineyards of Nemea For a nonscientist like myself it was a rare treat to be in such company This fils de vigneron from the Charentes whose professional manner was free of any pomposity and wine chauvinism his compatriots may be prone to was an objective reality check of the status quo in Greek viticulture His grasp and spoton comments on wines I had selected for him was another highlight I will get back to JMB
Angelos Iatridis is a man on a mission With his redoubtable partner farmer Makis Mavridis they have brought a scientific approach and discipline in vine cultivation that is new to Greece Their 21stcentury vineyards were largely first planted in 1997 All of the 65 hectares are recent excepting a block of old Xinomavro bush vines Here lies the Boursiquot connection JMB was intrigued by the Amyndeo Xinomavro DNA bank to be found in this coolerclimate sandy plateau Alpha Estate was keen on showing him the ungrafted old Xinomavro Boursiquot asked for them to dig at several vines His findings Well err it is not ungrafted The rootstock was French in origin and had been decommissioned over 50 years ago There is another even more intriguing JMB find in the Greek vineyard Look for this mythbusting discovery in the allnew forthcoming book This time with much wider ramifications than this Amyndeo sortie
Due to its limited production and high price retailing at 48 Euro many perceive that Alpha One the iconic wine of Alpha Estate is their top wine Marketing wise it is positioned so Yet is it Well with this Xinomavro Reserve which also costs less money the Alpha One has been eclipsed
There are several factors other than the topnotch vintage for making this wine the star of the estate One cannot ignore the wisdom of the 86yearold bush vines Further to the phenolically ripe tannins there is the bordering on the obsessive approach to these heritage vines applied by Angelos Iatridis with his cellar technical knowhow Whatever my reservations on Iatridiss approach to some of his wines the results in this Xinomavro Reserve are unequivocal Above all I get a clearer picture of the only now realized potential that this star grape has on offer The dynamics are shiverdownthespine stuff This wine goes beyond being a landmark for Amyndeo Such red wines are a step up closing the gap to the excellent white wines that the SouthEastern Mediterranean corner has been consistently producing for over a decade now
Very dark ruby Multifaceted and refined classy aroma Smoky black fruit and strawberry Freshly ground allspice Sous bois Cote de Nuitslike spicy earthiness Mouthfilling polished tannins Hugely attractive tannic bite Generous vivacious savourytextured mineral finish Best 20112027
Wine: Alpha Estate Xinomavro Reserve Vieilles Vignes
Year: 2007
Link: http://www.alpha-estate.com/
Score: 18.5
Type: Red
Variety: Xinomavro
Area: Macedonia