Dalamára Xinomavro/ Merlot 'Ayehoros' 2023

Growing grapes in western Macedonia for almost two centuries, the Dalamara family were instrumental in helping Naoussa become Greece’s first wine appellation in 1971. Now, sixth-generation Kostis is cementing the domaine as one of the finest producers in Greece, with the single-vineyard ‘Paliokalias’ among the region’s flagship wines.

After studying in Beaune, Kostis worked at Domaine Trapet in Gevrey-Chambertin and Clos du Rouge Gorge in the Roussillon before taking over from his father in 2010. Alongside his wife Maria, he farms 6ha of Xinomavro on the slopes of Mount Vermio just outside the town of Naoussa. Biodynamic since 2008, the domaine is a beacon of self-sufficiency under Kostis, who produces his own fertiliser on the farm and harnesses solar energy to power the winery.

The vineyard encompasses seven different terroirs, including a block of pre-phylloxera vines planted in the 1920s, and has been described by Greek Master of Wine Yiannis Karakasis as Naoussa’s Grand Cru.