COLOUR
Red
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2024
GRAPE
Xinomavro
PRODUCER
Apostolos Thymiopoulos
REGION
Macedonia
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Medium - Full
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
High
Finish
Long
Intensity
Pronounced
Tannins
Medium - High
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Apostolos Thymiopoulos, widely regarded as the master of Xinomavro, revolutionized Greek winemaking with his first release of Earth and Sky in 2005. Historically, Naoussa Xinomavro was known for being rustic and highly astringent, requiring decades of aging to soften. Thymiopoulos proved that careful, biodynamic viticulture and gentle extraction could yield elegant, Burgundian-style wines in their youth while retaining serious aging potential. The wine's name reflects its dual-terroir origin: 'Earth' represents the lower-altitude, warmer clay soils of Trilofos, while 'Sky' represents the high-altitude, cool schist soils of Fytia.
ALCOHOL
13.5%
AVG. PRICE
€25
STYLE
Classic
VEGAN
YES
SULPHITES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
16-18°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
The wine is a blend of two distinct terroirs: Trilofos (Earth) at 150-250m and Fytia (Sky) at 450-650m elevation.
Fact 02
Due to extreme heat in 2024, the Xinomavro harvest began on September 2nd, nearly a month earlier than the historical average.
Fact 03
Apostolos Thymiopoulos is widely credited with redefining Xinomavro, shifting its reputation from rustic to elegant and Burgundian.
FOOD PAIRING
Read more
WINE MAKING PROCESS
The 2024 vintage was marked by extreme warmth and drought, leading to an exceptionally early harvest. Grapes were hand-picked and roughly 60% de-stemmed, leaving 40% whole clusters. Maceration was prolonged, lasting about 40 days to extract fine phenolics. Fermentation occurred slowly over two to three months using only indigenous yeasts. The wine matured for 14 to 18 months in neutral, third-use 500-liter French oak barrels, and was bottled unfiltered and unfined to preserve its authentic texture.
