2021 Alpha Estate "Hedgehog Vineyard" Xinomavro Amyndeon Greece
95DC
94W&S
91RP
$22.99
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95
Decanter
Reviewed June 2024A delicate feminine style with ripples of red berry, white tea and rose circling the nose and palate. Perfectly designed for endless sipping. Pure joy! (DWWA 2024)
Professional Reviews
94
Wine & Spirits
If there were a parallel to a Domaines Ott rosé in Greece, this might be it. The color of cherry blossoms, it’s super elegant, all silken textures filigreed with fruit and acidity. Made from xinomavro, it’s a savory rosé, the variety’s hallmark flavors reading here in a mix of snap peas and barely red strawberries. Lean, long, bright and springy, this is a wine for the dinner table, whether with halibut or a sauté of morels and fresh peas.
91
Wine Advocate
The 2021 Rosé Hedgehog Vineyard is a Xinomavro, dry, unoaked and coming in at 13.54% alcohol. The pink Hedgehog is always fun, and this year is no exception. Sturdy in the mid-palate and firm on the finish, this adds brightness and flavor, a touch of earthiness. The fruit is nicely lifted on the lingering finish. The depth is very good. This very dry pink is a classic food wine, a red wine substitute. There's nothing simple here, nothing overly fruity or even a little sweet. Even in its exuberant youth, it seems rather serious. In bottle about three months when seen, this was showing great. It can certainly hold a few years if you wish to hold it, but that is not necessarily its highest and best use. (MS)
Staff Reviews
KM
Angelos Iatrides is one of the great winemakers of Greece. His experimentation and success with international varietals like Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc brought him renown, but for me his work with the native grape Xinomavro is what he will be best known for. We often call Xinomavro the Nebbiolo of Greece because they share some similar structural and flavor characteristics. With Angelos' version though, it's more reminiscent of a northern Italian Nebbiolo-Barbera blend. It has wonderful black plum and cherry fruit flavors, notes of herbs and spices that signify the character of Xino but it is the texture and balance of the wine where I find the comparison most applicable. It has a smoother less puckering texture than a bolder, chewier Xinomavro. This beauty is made for food. Ideal with grilled pork, herb roasted fowl or even a lightly marinated skirt steak. For the price this is a serious, and seriously fun, red to add to your weeknight wine rotation. And it will be from one of Greece's top producers!
AH
Aaron Hughes
Review Date: 05/2025Aaron Hughes
The very pretty translucent ruby color in the glass gives a little promise of what's to come. The nose is soft and creamy, filled with strawberry jam, sweet rhubarb compote, and touches of oak and barrel spice. The palate is incredibly lush and pretty, the fruit is still creamy and very ripe, bursting with strawberry and dusty cherry and just a little tiny grip of tannin. This is a very accessible bottle of Xinomavro, and for those who are looking to start their Grecian journey, it's a great place to begin; it's friendly and soft and so incredibly approachable. There's enough acidity that this could play nicely with a number of meal choices, but it's soft enough that it could serve as an aperitif or with passed appetizers as well if you were so inclined. Just pop and enjoy a little taste of Greece, it's that simple sometimes.
CD
Carlo Delgado
Carlo Delgado
Notes of cherry compote, pomegranate, hibiscus, black tea, dried rose petals, hint of potting soil. Juicy, savory, earthy, and spicy on the palate. This single vineyard 'Hedgehog' bottling by Alpha Estate is the perfect introduction to Xinomavro, Northern Greece's signature red varietal.
Notes
Located in the heart of Amyndeon in northwestern Greece, winemaker Angelos Iatrides established Alpha Estate in 1997. Working with a mix of international and indigenous varieties, Angelos crafts some of the most desirable wines in the region using his precise winemaking style. The single-vineyard "Hedgehog" has become the calling card wine for Alpha Estate. The Xinomavro vines were planted in 2000 and are grown in sandy-clay over limestone soils. Vinification takes place in stainless steel and the wine is aged for 12 months in a mix of new and used French oak barriques. This is a silky and inviting Xinomavro that makes for a great introduction to the region and Angelos' deft style.
Details
| Origin | Greece |
|---|---|
| Type/Varietal | Other Red Wines |
| SKU | 1758456 |