Sclavos Zakynthino Orange 2024

Sclavos works on the slopes of Mount Aenos on Kefalonia, in the Ionian Islands, where Evriviadis Sklavos has farmed biodynamically since 1990, early for Greece. This orange wine comes from Zakynthino, an indigenous variety he champions, grown without chemical inputs. The mountain site brings altitude and a maritime influence, with cooling sea air and big day to night temperature swings that keep acidity firm and aromatics defined, while the limestone slopes of Aenos lend a stony, saline character. The wine is made with skin contact, macerating the juice on the grape skins to extract colour, phenolics and the tannic grip that marks an orange wine, then aged in cement, an inert material that preserves freshness and texture without adding oak flavour. Worked as a natural, biodynamic wine, it is robust and direct. The colour is deep amber. The nose shows dried apricot, orange peel and wild herbs over a briny, earthy base. The palate is dry, structured and savoury, carrying beeswax and almond to a salty, mineral finish. Serve at 13 to 15 degrees in a white wine glass. It suits roast pork and oily fish.