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Alpha Estate Axia Red Xinomavro/Syrah 2011 750ml

size
750ml
country
Greece
region
Amyndeon
WA
92
Additional vintages
2011 2010
WA
92
Rated 92 by Wine Advocate
The 2011 Axia Syrah-Xinomavro, the typical 50-50 blend, was aged for 12 months in second use French oak, medium to light toast. It comes in at 14.5% alcohol. I haven't seen this in about five years. It is always a pleasure when wines from emerging regions without a lot of track record age well. I was convinced it would, and so it has. Still a bit tight with aeration, this still has some astringency. It coats the palate beautifully too, though. It is never all about the power, but it seems precise and focused. The relatively mature Syrah gives this some gamey nuances. It has plenty of life left; however, it is showing some maturity, the fruit just a bit behind the power, but this is still doing well. It is complex, nuanced and carefully crafted. I've extended the drinking window again, although I'm still being conservative, as it will likely do better. The price merely references the original price at release.
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Alpha Estate Axia Red Xinomavro/Syrah 2011 750ml

SKU 763105
Out of Stock
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Winery Alpha Estate
barrel

Vintage: 2011

The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines. In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.
fields

Country: Greece

As one of the oldest wine producing countries in the world, Greece has millenia of experience and expertise when it comes to viticulture, and has developed a set of flavors and characteristics which are found nowhere else on earth. The ancient Greeks revered and deified wine, and were the first true innovators in the history of wine, adding everything from seawater to honey and spices in order to find exciting new taste combinations and aromas. Today, Greek wines are just as varied, although far more refined and sophisticated than their ancient counterparts. The practice of enhancing Greek wines with aromatic substances never left the country, though, as can be seen in the popular Retsina wines, which use pine resin to provide their unique taste and aroma combinations. There is far more to Greek wine than merely Retsina, however, and the vast variety on offer is a testament to the expertise of Greek wineries making the most of the wonderful climate, terrain and grape varietals they work with.