Ktima Ligas Xi-Ro 2022

Ktima Ligas XI-RO is one of the more unconventional and compelling wines coming out of northern Greece, made by the Ligas family in Pella. Founded by Thomas Ligas in the 1980s after studying oenology in France, the estate became an early pioneer of natural winemaking and permaculture in Greece long before those ideas gained broader attention. Today the project is largely guided by his children, Meli and Jason Ligas, who have pushed the winery even further toward zero intervention farming and cellar work. Their wines are known for being deeply expressive, often challenging, and completely unconcerned with polished international styles.

XI-RO takes its name directly from the grapes in the blend, roughly 95 percent xinomavro and 5 percent roditis. The combination is unusual but intentional. Xinomavro brings structure, acidity, earthy spice, and that characteristic tomato leaf savory edge, while the small addition of roditis softens the wine slightly and adds aromatic lift. Fruit comes from the family’s organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards in Pella, where the warm climate and sandy loam soils allow xinomavro to achieve ripeness while still preserving tension and freshness.

The winemaking is fully in line with the Ligas philosophy of minimal intervention. The grapes are fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeast and without additives, commercial enzymes, or meaningful sulfur additions. The 2022 saw around 15 days of skin contact, giving the wine its lightly structured tannins and savory depth without pushing it into a heavier style. After fermentation, the wine aged for roughly 10 months in large old oak barrels before being bottled unfiltered. The élevage rounds the wine slightly while still keeping the fruit and earthy character fully exposed.

The 2022 feels almost like a meeting point between xinomavro, nebbiolo, and natural wine sensibilities. Sour cherry, cranberry, tomato leaf, dried strawberry, black tea, lavender, and rosemary all move through the glass alongside a faintly wild earthy note. There is bright acidity and fine tannic grip, but the wine stays energetic and lifted rather than dense. The finish carries that distinctive savory herbal quality that makes xinomavro so compelling, especially when handled with this much restraint and transparency.