- Tasting profile
- Full tasting notes live in the deep dive.
- What the name means
- Sour black. The name is xino (acid) and mavro (black), a warning label and a promise in one word.
- In the glass
- Pale garnet. The colour fools you.
- Where it grows
Naoussa, Greece - Where to start
- Kir-Yianni The benchmark. Village Naoussa, a step up in polish, still near $25.
- Thymiopoulos The value hero, near $23. The 'Young Vines' bottle to hand a sceptic.
- Markovitis Old-school Naoussa with the backbone to age.
- The catch
- Young, it is austere: pure grip and acid. Give it a few years, or an hour in a decanter.
- Where to buy
- For specific bottles and where to buy them, read the deep dive.
Keep exploring
The region
Buying GuideIf you like
Wines like Xinomavro
Xinomavro: common questions
- What wine is Xinomavro similar to?
- If you usually drink Barolo, Nebbiolo or Chianti, Xinomavro is the underdog swap to try. Other lesser-known grapes in the same style: Baga, Aglianico, Perricone.
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