2023 Karanika - Xinomavro Amyndeon Extra Brut Cuvee Speciale (750ml)

Domaine Karanika was founded in 2004 by Laurens Hartman-Karanika and his wife Annette van Kampen, a Dutch couple who left their careers behind to train as winemakers across Europe and the United States before settling on the remote Amyndeon plateau in northwest Greece. Their fascination with the native Xinomavro grape drew them there, where they now farm organically and biodynamically, working the land in harmony with nature rather than against it.

Cuvee Speciale blends ninety percent Xinomavro with ten percent Assyrtiko, sourced partly from ungrafted vines up to eighty years old. The estate uses gravity and gentle punch-downs instead of pumping to move must and wine, and relies on traditional method winemaking, with whole clusters pressed and fermented in large wooden foudres, no added sulfur, and a second fermentation that happens right in the bottle. The wine then rests on its lees for several years before disgorgement and release.

The glass shows a pale pink-yellow hue with fine, persistent bubbles. The nose is creamy and yeasty, layered with lime, pear, wild strawberry, and a whisper of rose, while the palate stays crisp and saline, cut by bright acidity to a long, dry finish. Serve it with grilled shrimp, soft-ripened cheese, or light canapés.