Alpha Estate Amyndeon Xinomavro Hedgehog 2014 750 ml

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The 2015 Xinomavro Hedgehog Vineyard was aged for 12 months in an equal mixture of new and second use French oak and comes in at 12.8% alcohol. If you want to know why this region and grape have a reputation for acidity, this issue certainly shows you. This is one good example. Alpha’s Axia is another and the Kir-Yianni Kali Riza yet a third. Silky yet fruity, without a lot of concentration but with enlivening lift to the fruit and plenty of power, this has all those old-school Xinomavro nuances of earth and amber to go with the big hits of acidity. These types of Xinomavro make me think “Nebbiolo” every time. In fact, this often seems to have more rusticity than Alpha’s upper-level (and typically more refined) Vielles Vignes bottling. When these old-school types come down the road, you are best off letting them rest a bit and coming back in a few years. The acidity and tannins will preserve them for a long time, perhaps longer than expected, so there is no rush. This is a fine value that does a lot of great things that wines in this price category often do not?but you will need some patience, and it does have to be your style.