Xinomavro Reserve [Old Vines] 'Ecosystem- Barba Yannis'

Score

94

"The 2016 Xinomavro Ecosystem Reserve Vielles Vignes Barba Yannis Single Block was aged for 24 months in new French barriques and comes in at 13.7% alcohol. Unfiltered, it was held back a year after bottling. By old vines, the winery means ungrafted bush vines from 1919. This looks brilliant. Silky, powerful and intense, it is all about the acidity and tannins on opening. It grips the palate, lifts the fruit and won't let go. Its earthy complexity is starting to become evident even now. It's never going to be a rich and fruity wine—if that's what you want, look away. This is not very fleshy, but its purity and focus are impressive. It easily manages to coat the palate. In fact, when retasted the next day, it seemed to have fleshed out and expanded. It was far more gorgeous on that second day. That only hints at its potential, I suspect. It should age very well. Try it again in the mid-2020s to see if it is developing as well as I think it will. It is definitely not ready to drink today. It is, by the way, a super value. That is always true. It adds weight, power and expressive fruit to its lower-priced sibling, the Hedgehog, for just another $13 (comparing list prices). While that may not be insignificant in some circumstances, it's not much in the grand scheme of things. As good as the Hedgehog is, it's a small increment for a notable uptick in quality. They both drank well out of the gate. This was far superior when retasted the next day."