Alpha Estate 2022 Hedgehog Vineyard Rose 750ml

The 2022 Rosé Hedgehog Vineyard is a Xinomavro, dry, unoaked and coming in at 13.1% alcohol. Not quite in bottle for three months when tasted, this seemed super anyway. It has a fresh demeanor this year, but it still manages to provide intensity of fruit flavor, all in a very dry and serious fashion. The crispness should serve this well if you decide to hold it a few years, but I never really see the point to that. I've seen them improve over six to 12 months or so, then just hold. Mostly, I think they should be drunk in four to five years from the vintage date, although they might well do better. This is certainly hard to resist now, given its exuberance. Remember, though, it always finishes dry. If you're looking for fruity and a touch of candied, that's not this wine. It will be great this summer.

Score: 90 points -- Mark Squires, The Wine Advocate, 2023