Dry Red 
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Winemaker's Note
Deep ruby red color. On the nose, complex aromas of peppers, caramel, notes of chocolate and smoke on a backbone of ripe red fruits. Equally layered flavors on the palate with a full, rich, and structured mouthfeel beautifully invigorated by a refreshing touch of crispness. Lingering, spicy finish.
Varieties
Syrah 70%, Merlot 30%
Origin
PGI Imathia
Food Pairing
n/a
Analytical Data
Mild winter with very low to low rain and typical to the season temperatures. Notable rain -sometimes intense- with colder than standard night temperatures were recorded from April till June, while an intense, yet beneficiary to the plants, phenomenon (72mm rain) took place in mid-July. The heavy precipitation in the beginning of August was the last one, giving its place to a long period of hot and dry conditions with significant diurnal temperatures range. Overall, the French varieties were favored leading to a quality handpicked harvest and a great vintage with yields between 8,000-10,000 kg of grapes per hectare.
At our Estate’s vineyard in Naoussa, two olive trees (dyo elies in Greek) organically demarcate the area where the two blocks of Syrah and Merlot respectively roll; They are the source if this red wine that masterfully imprints our long legacy in blends. Syrah thrives in the SE oriented block #19 at 235-240 meters altitude, with the intense slope ( >16%) and the loam to clay loam soils, offering one of the most typical and rich varietal expressions. At the same time, Merlot finds ideal conditions in the NE oriented block #32, expanded over the loamy limestone soils on the less wavy and lower grounds (up to 180 meters altitude) of the vineyard. Both varieties were planted in 2002 at a density of 3,970 (Syrah) and 3,400 (Merlot) plants per hectare.
Each variety is vinified separately following its own harvest dates and is rigorously sorted on conveyor belt. For Merlot: Vinification solely in stainless steel tanks. Pre-fermentation maceration for 5-7 days, fermentation at 23-26 oC followed by 4-day post-fermentation extraction. For Syrah: After pre-fermentation maceration and fermentation at 22-24 oC in stainless steel tanks, the wine was transferred to barrels (French oak, 225 lt, 20% first use) for malolactic fermentation and maturation for 14 months.
On the 6th month after harvest, the first blend was made; part of it remained in stainless steel tank, part transferred again to barrels. Final blend before bottling.
