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…“Single vineyard Xinomavro new wine and new plantations from Pieria Eratini Winery”.

The new character of the Pieria Eratini Winery is brought out with time. It is dominated by new plantings that give a forerunner to Xinomavro and Assyrtiko and that come to give new expression and character to the wines of the winery from Kolindros Pieria.

   At the recent Oenotelia exhibition, Pieria Eratini presented its newest wines and labels, where the lead was given to both the Malagouzia "Nine Daughters" and "META", a label, which in its original version was vinified from Malagouzia. However, Pavlos Argyropoulos and Andreas Pantos, the heads of the Estate, decided to productively convert this wine, now using Assyrtiko for its creation, which results from the over-ripening and peroxidation process, due to the acidity that can serve the philosophy of this wine. "Malagouzia is currently produced in about 7,000-10,000 bottles and META in up to 5,000 bottles," says Pavlos Argyropoulos.

The timeless classic, "The Naked King"

The Naked King remains unchanged in the range of Pieria Eratini's wines, coming mainly from Syrah and the local variety Kolindrino. This is a wine with a strong concentration, where it has now become a classic and at the same time a timeless wine in terms of wine making. This label is released in around 5,000 bottles, with the 2019 vintage currently on the shelves and the 2021 vintage soon to be released.

Brings to the fore single-vineyard Xinomavro

At the same time, the Pieria Eratini Winery will use Xinomavro, which has coexisted for several years in the red wine label "Wishes" along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, in a different direction.

    Soon the two producers and owners of Pieria Eratini will present a single varietal Xinomavro, a wine that, as Pavlos Argyropoulos says, has been aging for two years and is ready to be presented. "This wine retains the characteristics of Xinomavro, while combining it with the elements of our region's terroir. It is not similar to the Xinomavro of Naoussa and Amyndeon. It retains its acidity but also has more body, given that it is matured for a longer period of time'.

Finally, he argues that in order for wines to show their character, they must be created from small and selected productions. In total, the winery maintains 150 acres of privately owned vineyards, to which it intends to add additional quantities of Assyrtiko and Xinomavro, where it sees broader potential for the future.

Text: George Labiris / Photos: Georgia Karamali