Alpha Estate — Pinot Noir Strofi 2018

Alpha Estate Pinot Noir Single Block "Strofi" 2018 from Florina in Macedonia — paired here with goose, and once again a great opportunity for a Greek Pinot Noir. I had this vintage about a year prior, and back then it was a very interesting wine with a lot of citrus aromas on top of caramelized beetroot. Within one year, the wine has developed quite a bit. That's typical with wines from Alpha Estate in my experience — give them some time to show all their strength. Overall, it is a more typical Pinot Noir now according to international standards, even though some bloody notes have retreated into the background. The profile still tends more towards red currant than cherry, but the tannins are much better integrated now. The Pinot Noir from Juliet & Romeo Wines that I had the day before is a bit more elegant, but on the other hand, the Alpha Estate Strofi is a very juicy wine that drinks extremely well.