2019 Kokkinos - Xinomavro Naoussa (750ml)

Stavros Kokkinos began as a longtime fruit farmer before investing in Xinomavro vineyards in 2000 and formally opening his boutique winery in 2009. The estate sits on the outskirts of Naoussa in the hills of Dalamari, along the winding country roads leading toward the historic village of Arkochori, and today Kokkinos farms roughly 3.6 hectares across some of the region's most respected parcels, making his a rising name among Naoussa producers.

The vineyards lie on soils formed during the Pliocene and Pleistocene eras, a sandy clay mix rich in magnesium and threaded with shale and marble, sitting under a temperate Mediterranean climate with mild continental influence. Grapes are hand harvested from low-yielding, estate-owned vines and fermented with native yeasts, then aged for twelve months across a mix of seasoned French oak barrels and larger neutral vats, an approach meant to tame Xinomavro's famously assertive tannin while keeping its aromatics intact.

Often likened to a Greek Nebbiolo, this Xinomavro shows rose petal, dark currant, and sun-dried tomato aromatics layered with dried fruit and exotic spice. The tannins arrive tightly wound in youth, so a generous decant rewards the patient drinker with a softer, more expressive glass. It pairs naturally with slow-roasted lamb, beef stifado, or other rich, long-cooked stews.