Oenos Mittas, Naoussa Xinomavro, 2023

Yiannis Mittas was just 28 years old at his first release, but the wines he makes from his family's 1.8-hectare plot in Paliokalias — one of Naoussa's most prized sub-zones — read like the work of someone who has been here for generations. Xinomavro is Greece's great red grape: high acid, firm tannins, delicate red fruit, and a floral complexity that draws frequent comparison to Nebbiolo. Mittas works it with a light hand — 12.5% alcohol, whole-cluster fermentation, minimal intervention — coaxing out the grape's ethereal, Alpine side rather than trying to muscle it into something bigger. If Xinomavro reminds you of Nebbiolo, Mittas's version would be the graceful, mountain-air expression of Alto Piemonte rather than the Langhe. Quantities are tiny; the wine consistently disappears.