2025 Alpha Estate Xinomavro Hedgehog Rose

Made with all Xinomavro, the Alpha Estate 2025 Amyndeon Rose Hedgehog Single Vineyard is taut and bright with fragrant peach and aromas of Pink Lady apple. Xinomavro proves especially well suited to rose, delivering nuance, energy and tonic fruit flavors framed by mineral notes and vibrant acidity. This wine could easily compete with some of my favorite roses from Cassis and Bandol in France, maybe with even more excellent freshness here. The fruit comes from the Hedgehog subregion at 690 meters above sea level with northern exposures overlooking Lake Petron and Mount Voras in the cool semi-continental climate of Amyndeon in northern Greece. Fermented after a 12-hour cold soak and aged on the lees with regular stirring for two months, the wine gains additional texture and balance. Produced in approximately 100,000 bottles, this is a polished and highly successful expression of Xinomavro rose. 91 points

Sandy and sandy clay soils over limestone on a plateau at 620–710 m. Hand harvesting 26 September. Destemming, optical grape sorting and light crushing. Cold soak at 8 °C for two hours. Alcoholic fermentation in stainless-steel tanks with cooling jackets at gradually increasing temperatures. Three months on the lees with regular stirring. Saignee method. TA 6.05 g/l, pH 3.39, RS 2.5 g/l.
Very pale in colour but not in aroma: deep in peach and tart red fruits with a light note of pear drops from such a young wine. Equally full of fruit on the palate and yet firmly structured by both freshness and a very slight grip, though not tannic. As it opens, even more aromatic but also a little more savoury, perhaps from the lees. Fresh, lively, and it turned out to be extremely versatile with food - it went well with both creamy chicken soup and earthy lentil and bacon soup. Long. The highish alcohol and the little bit of residual sugar have given it more volume in the mouth but no sweetness. 17 points