Apostolos Thymiopoulos, from a multi-generational family of winegrape growers in the Naoussa appellation, located in the northern Greek region of Macedonia, began bottling his own wine in 2003. Farming is certified organic and biodynamic. Xinomavro is the star grape in Naoussa - one that’s often compared to Italy’s nebbiolo, because of its tendency to give light-colored yet structured, complex, and age-worthy wines.
'Earth and Sky' is Thymiopoulos’s top xinomavro, from 45-year-old vines growing in limestone, schist, and clay. The grapes are 60% de-stemmed and macerate for 40 days, with indigenous fermentation. Élevage is for 18 months in third-use, 500-litre French oak barrels. The wine is dark-fruited, with an herbaceous, even leafy, note and exotic spices in the nose. It’s medium-bodied and complex in the mouth, with well-balanced tannins. Drink it in a Bordeaux or Burgundy glass with kleftiko, souvlaki, moussaka or other lamb or eggplant preparations.
