Vaeni Naoussa Grande Reserve 2010
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Robert
Parker
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It pairs well with game, red meat and sharp cheeses.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Grande Reserve, the current vintage, is all Xinomavro aged for 18 months in an equal mixture of French and American oak (about one-third second use, the rest third use). For those who think Xinomavro is always stern and brooding, laced with so many tannins and so much acidity that there is no discernible fruit--this one's for you. Oh, there are some tannins and it is very bright. Predictably, the pure power increases as it sits in the glass, although it is still mostly approachable now. Its main selling point is clearly the intensity of fruit flavor, though. Laced with lots of red fruit nuances, this is exuberant, youthful and surprisingly fruit-forward. It is pretty delicious. That remains so even as the power asserts itself. It can easily last another couple of decades. If it can acquire some complexity, it may yet be entitled to an uptick in score.
Native to Greece, Xinomavro is widely regarded the finest red wine of the country. Its name literally means “acid black”, and attains fullest potential in the country’s northwest region of Naoussa. These single varietal bottlings of Xinomavro (blending is not allowed here) are often compared to the fine Barolos of Italy for their structure, finesse and age-worthiness. While its vines are fickle and blue-black grapes grow in tight clusters, similar to Nebbiolo, Xinomavro actually appears unrelated. Somm Secret—The use of French oak can help tame Xinomavro but too much can overwhelm it. Some eschew oak entirely during winemaking; other producers use locally-grown walnut.
Naoussa is home to one of Greece’s most age-worthy reds: Xinomavro. Flourishing on the sun-exposed, southeastern-facing slopes of Mount Vermio between 700 to 1,700 feet in elevation, some say Xinomavro is Greece's red counterpart to its famous white, Assyrtiko. Others liken it to Italy's well-respected, highly perfumed and powerful, Nebbiolo.