Greek wine to drink this week: Xinomavro and Mavrotragano


Greek wine has made significant progress over the last few years. Nowadays much emphasis has been placed on the expression of the various terroirs, which, in combination with the amazing wealth of Greek indigenous varieties, paves the way towards more sophisticated markets and points of sales. I recently tried two wines which impressed me with their character and their aura; the soon to be released Naoussa 2015 by Thymiopoulos and the first official release of Mavrotragano by Dougos.

Let me start with the Naoussa by Apostolos Thymiopoulos. This is vinified with about 70% whole clusters bringing an aromatic left on the nose and more texture on palate. The production amounts to approximately 200.000 bottles, which enclose an elegant and complex wine. The label and bottle stay true to the wine - simple and elegant. It is truly admirable how Thymopoulos manages to give his Naoussa such precise balance, delicacy and fruit maturity. I asked him about all of this during the Umami Festival in Larissa and Thymiopoulos was very willing to open a discussion.