Alpha Estate Xinomavro 'Hedgehog Vineyard'

Alpha Estate is a winery located in the depths of Amyndeon's finest pastures. Alpha represents the "new beginning", the "birth" of a new era in the world of Greek wine. Makis Mavridis, a third generation skilled grapegrower, and Angelos Iatridis, the winemaker, educated in Bordeaux, trained in France, Italy and Greece and ''good father'' to many international well known Greek wines, planted a 65ha vineyard in the Amyndeon region in the late 1990's.

'The 2018 Xinomavro Hedgehog Vineyard was aged for 12 months in an equal mixture of used and second use French barriques. It comes in at 13.9% alcohol. This is a Xinomavro that shows earth and character, but it is rather soft and refined. It's a middle-of-the-road Xinomavro, pleasing on all fronts and very elegant. Ready to drink right now, it adds velvety texture to go with its balanced demeanor. This will hold reasonably well, but the goal here is obviously an early-drinking Xinomavro, not a powerhouse that needs to be cellared for some years. It's delicious and a pleasure to drink. You can dive in now.' - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 89 points