# Earth and Sky (Γη Και Ουρανος) (2024)

- **Producer:** Apostolos Thymiopoulos
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Xinomavro
- **Region:** Macedonia, Greece
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €25
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** strawberry, cherry, plum, herbaceous, mint, fennel, black pepper, cloves, cedar, forest floor, leather, mushroom, tobacco, cinnamon

## About this wine

Apostolos Thymiopoulos, widely regarded as the master of Xinomavro, revolutionized Greek winemaking with his first release of Earth and Sky in 2005. Historically, Naoussa Xinomavro was known for being rustic and highly astringent, requiring decades of aging to soften. Thymiopoulos proved that careful, biodynamic viticulture and gentle extraction could yield elegant, Burgundian-style wines in their youth while retaining serious aging potential. The wine's name reflects its dual-terroir origin: 'Earth' represents the lower-altitude, warmer clay soils of Trilofos, while 'Sky' represents the high-altitude, cool schist soils of Fytia.

## Interesting facts

- The wine is a blend of two distinct terroirs: Trilofos (Earth) at 150-250m and Fytia (Sky) at 450-650m elevation.
- Due to extreme heat in 2024, the Xinomavro harvest began on September 2nd, nearly a month earlier than the historical average.
- Apostolos Thymiopoulos is widely credited with redefining Xinomavro, shifting its reputation from rustic to elegant and Burgundian.

## Food pairing

This high-acid, structured red wine demands dishes with rich proteins and savory, earthy elements. The firm tannins cut beautifully through the fat of roasted lamb or game, while the wine's natural tomato and herbal notes mirror the flavors of Mediterranean herbs and truffle-infused dishes.

## Wine making process

The 2024 vintage was marked by extreme warmth and drought, leading to an exceptionally early harvest. Grapes were hand-picked and roughly 60% de-stemmed, leaving 40% whole clusters. Maceration was prolonged, lasting about 40 days to extract fine phenolics. Fermentation occurred slowly over two to three months using only indigenous yeasts. The wine matured for 14 to 18 months in neutral, third-use 500-liter French oak barrels, and was bottled unfiltered and unfined to preserve its authentic texture.