Kokkinos Xinomavro 2012
Since I am back in Athens, I thought it a good time to dig out some old notes on Greek wines I’ve drunk. Because I’m lucky enough to be a 90 flight from the city where my two best friends live (free accommodation!), I get a lot of opportunity to explore Greek wine.
While I nearly sweepingly love the white grapes native to Greece, finding my red wine has not been as easy. Both my friend M and I prefer more powerful, muscular, tannic red wines. Which means Agiorgitiko hasn’t been our favorite. However, with that profile as a goal, Greece’s “sour black” Xinomavro is a sure bet.
The most difficult thing I’ve found about Greek grapes is not drinking them, but saying them correctly! My spoken Greek is limited to: hello, okay, yes, thank you, and wine. Other than that I can read the words for most of the major wine grapes. But saying them? Luckily my friends here have been learning Greek and have Greek friends and family. From them I’ve gathered that the syllable that feels the most uncomfortable is the one that gets the accent. With that in mind, let’s drink some Xi-NO-ma-vro!
Kokkinos Xinomavro 2012 Tasting Notes
Naoussa-based winery Kokkinos was established by Stavros Kokkinos who is considered to be the “youngest” winemaker in Naousa. In his article about Kokkinos, Master of Wine Yiannis Karakasis does a deep dive into the winery and provides vertical notes on three vintages of Kokkinos’ Xinomavro. To my sadness, I had access to only one of those.
Ripe crunch cherries with tomato jam, flowers, dried herbs, and tobacco on the nose with a hint of earth. Tannins like a deep pile velvet carried flavors of tart fruit, orange rind, and tobacco flowers into a long, peppery finish.
Karakasis called this vintage “stylish” which it most certainly is. Gorgeous, full-bodied, stylish wine with 14% abv that has only increased my love of this grape.