ALPHA ESTATE | S.M.X. | 2015
syrah | merlot | xynomavro
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Tonight we are going to review a legendary wine blend from Northern Greece – S.M.X. 2015 from Alpha Estate. This wine is part of the winemaker’s flagship line, that is made of only three wines, and is a blend of syrah, merlot and xynomavro grape varieties, all of them grown in the Amyndeon plateau, situated at the 660m altitude in north-western Macedonia, in the so-called “Childrens & Horses” sub-region of Greece. The wine has been aged on the lees for 8 months, followed by 12 months of ageing in new french oak casks and finally by 12 months of bottle-ageing. In order to preserve the fruit flavours, the wine has not been filtered before the bottling – quite impressive, but let’s not put too much emphasis on the theory side, without further ado let’s move on, to the tasting!
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:
Visual
Deep and nuanced garnet color, with purple-indigo shades towards the rim of the glass.
Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with ripe red and black fruits flavours: black cherry, blackcurrant, black plum, redcurrant, ripe sour cherry, ripe cranberry, ripe red plum, black mulberry, ripe blackberry, black raspberry and cherry tree wood. An instant later the nose is filled with elegant notes of roasted oakwood, allspice, tobacco, black pepper, anise, nutmeg, red pepper, black tea and some subtle hints of leather.
Gustatory
The wine is extra-dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and fine tannin. It feels bold, spicy and tannic, with a nuanced fruity-crisp accent. This is a quite firm, expressive and full-bodied wine, as it tastes grippy, complex and well structured. The wine is quite harmonious, with a nuanced seedy-tart accent on the palate and a touch of alcoholic warmth showing through on the mouthfeel. It has a good overall balance between fruit and wood.
Aftertaste
The wine has a long finish and an velvety-spicy aftertaste.
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This is definitely a great Wine of Greece and the overall rating says the same, with 92.6 points scored it is right there, among the best wines we’ve tasted so far. Please click on the chart icon on the left in order to get to the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines we’ve tasted to date.
Conclusion: this is definitely a wine that is still on the rise, one that has yet to reach the summit of its top form. We believe that it will get there in about 2 to 3 years of bottle ageing. Despite its youthfulness, it has a firm tannic accent on the palate, a finely textured mouthfeel and a quite elegant finale, with mouth-watering acidity and bone-drying tannins. In order to elevate this wine to its true potential, we would recommend to pair it with meaty dishes that are rich in natural umami flavours, like for example beef carpaccio or veal tartare with figs, hazelnuts and anchovy butter. Enjoy!
WineStatistics tasting results:
ALPHA ESTATE
S.M.X. | 2015
grape: | syrah | merlot | xynomavro |
overall rating: | 92.6 |
maturity: on the rise
conclusion: excellent | (a must try)
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(c) The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. There are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.
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WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a one-time donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a monthly donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a yearly donation so that we can review even more wines.
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