Tinos is perhaps better known for spiritual pilgrimages to its spectacular Church of Panagia Evangelistria. However, for any passionate wine lover, taking the short-but-exhilarating ferry ride to the island from Mykonos is an essential pilgrimage in itself. This windswept, undulating location is covered with rustic terraces hewn into its granite boulder-laden hillsides, which date back centuries. Once a signpost to the rich agriculture of the land, they now proudly resurrect the ancient links to the noble art of vinification from some 6,000 years ago.
This link to the past — and indeed the unique terroir itself — provided the divine inspiration for T-Oinos founder, Alexandre Avatangelos, back in 1999. He envisioned the creation of wines that reflect and respect the purity of the landscape, but also the energy and precision of its inhabitants, alongside the island’s intensely rich winemaking heritage. The first vines were planted back in 2002, with the inaugural vintage released in 2009.
The T-Oinos team has quickly expanded and includes some of the biggest luminaries in the business, including Gérard Margeon — a former executive head sommelier with the Alain Ducasse group of restaurants; Stéphane Derenoncourt, master vigneron, whose strategic winemaking wisdom has been adopted by over 140 of the world’s most desirable estates; and winemaker Thanos Georgilas, who brings vital experience from his time spent at Napa’s Opus One and the Left Bank’s Chateau Latour.
Just 17 hectares of vines have been planted across four organically cultivated vineyards, predominantly with the noble white Assyrtiko varietal (which bears a resemblance to the fruity, aromatic characteristics of Riesling) and red Mavrotragano — described by Georgilas as, “like a southern Rhone Valley blend or Petit Verdo.”
The pinnacle of these plots is Clos Stegasta (a reference to the covered buildings used historically by those working the land centuries ago). Situated 1,500 ft above sea level on a smoother plateau, rather than a traditional hillside terrace, these highly prized Assyrtiko vines are enriched thanks to a pocket of clay in the otherwise mineral-heavy granite and schist soil, bringing depth and complexity to the wines.
It’s a complexity that Thanos Georgilas is deeply proud of. “The most important thing for us is to truly introduce the philosophy of the vineyards and the winemaking team to the world,” he explains. “There’s a uniqueness alongside a distinctive elegance in our wines, which comes directly from the land, the closeness of sea and the ever-changing growing conditions.”
The core of T-Oinos is built around six expressions. There are two remarkably vibrant, beautifully fragranced, 100% Assyrtiko white wines, (Clos Stegasta Asyrtiko and Clos Stegasta Asyrtiko Rare) with an abundance of honeysuckle, ripe orchard fruit and delicate citrus zest. Next, a pair of delicately fruity rosé releases blended from Assyrtiko, Mavrotragano and Avgoustiatis grapes, and, perhaps the team’s crowning glory so far, two 100% Mavrotragano reds, with wonderful aging potential. They are full of intense cassis, blackberry, seductive spice, dark chocolate, cherries and a finely balanced tannic structure. The soon-to-be-released 2022 Clos Stegasta Mavrotragano Rare vintage has already gained an incredible 99/100 score from legendary critic James Suckling, while the Clos Stegasta Asyrtiko Rare 2023 received 98/100.
With a brand-new winery complex, complete with tasting rooms and a subterranean aging cellar now 18 months into a three-year construction cycle, it’s clear that T-Oinos has designs to not only be known as Greece’s finest winemaker, but to also sit in the very pantheon of global vinification. Truly nectar of the gods.
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