2015 Vieilles Vignes Single Block Reserve Xinomavro

From the Barba Yannis block, planted in 1919! Ungrafted bush vines. Fermented with yeasts isolated from the same vineyard. 24 months on lees in new untoasted French oak and 12 months in bottle. Unfiltered. pH 3.37 . Mid to deep ruby. Inviting and classic Xinomavro aromas of red fruit, dried tomato, olive and spice and still so much fruit. Firm and dry and mouth-watering. A terrific example of the intensity and incipient complexity of this wine, which is powerful but still beautifully fresh. Benchmark Xinomavro, the tannins starting to be smoothed thanks to the oak but not overt oak flavours. Intense, long and deeply satisfying even though it is just a baby. This may not be Alpha's icon wine but it is my favourite. (JH)

The 2015 Xinomavro Ecosystem Reserve Vielles Vignes Barba Yannis Single Block was aged for 24 months in new French barriques and comes in at 13.1% alcohol. By "old vines," the winery means "ungrafted bush vines" from 1919. This, to be clear, is never a wine that seems deep and jammy. The mid-palate finesse is exceptional. It has a wonderfully refined and sophisticated feel—that old-school character. It doesn't hit you over the head with richness. For one thing, it's Xinomavro. For another, it's Alpha in Amyndeon. That means you get pure silk for texture in a wine that has both grace and subtlety. This year isn't the ripest ever, but I loved its freshness. It's a fine performance in a year that had its share of challenges. Neither this nor the 2014 may go down in history as Alpha's best-ever bottlings, but it's a nice statement that the wines can seem this good in challenging years. Maybe time will tell a different story, but I'd bet on this drinking beautifully in 2035. It isn't too subtle in terms of power, though—there's plenty. This, despite the late release, is not even close to ready. This year emphasizes the freshness and the structure. The alcohol seems low, the fruit is restrained and the power seems fairly high. You will need some patience. For the moment, I'd say this will be a step up on the overachieving 2014—which may not evolve as well over time—but not quite at the level of some other recent vintages, like the 2012. (The 2013 was sometimes fabulous and sometimes raised issues—we'll see where it goes.) This will age well, perhaps better than expected. As always, the price remains reasonable for this rather special wine.