2024 Zafeirakis - Limniona Tyrnavos Rose (750ml)

Domaine Zafeirakis sits in the foothills of Mount Olympus in Tyrnavos, Thessaly, where the Zafeirakis family has tended vines for well over a century. Christos Zafeirakis, the fourth generation to run the estate, is credited with single-handedly rescuing Limniona, a red grape that had nearly vanished from Greek vineyards twenty years ago, and turning it into one of the country's most celebrated native varieties. His organically farmed property in the Palaiomylos area of Tyrnavos has become something of a benchmark for how far indigenous Greek grapes can go.

This rosé is made from a direct press of whole Limniona bunches, followed by spontaneous fermentation using only indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, without any oak or shortcuts along the way. The vineyards grow in clay soils rich in flint, and yields are kept deliberately low to concentrate flavor. The result is a wine built for freshness rather than richness, one that channels the grape's natural red-fruited character into something lean and precise.

In the glass, the wine shows a pale coral hue with aromas of wild strawberry, cranberry, and blood orange, accented by dried Mediterranean herbs. The palate is bone dry and taut, closing on a saline, almost briny finish. It suits grilled octopus, mezze, taramasalata, and lemon-herb chicken particularly well.