Extremely rare and hard to find this red wine pushes “unique” to its limits! If you add its perfectly natural vinification without any intervention and its bottling in just 675 bottles, you start to get an idea of what to expect.
In the tiny Tzikas Family winery on the road that connects Kalithea with the peninsula of Kassandra in Halkidiki, everything is done by hand. Everything is natural. And this is not just a fashion. It was and it is a way of life.
The cultivation of the vineyards is certified organic. The only minimal use of sulfur throughout the winemaking process is for disinfecting the barrels before using them.
For Hamogelo Psychis (Smile of the Soul) Red 2015 Tzikas Family, Syrah and Nebbiolo blend and remain in American and French barrels for 11 months under the watchful eye of John Tzikas who is simply looking, allowing the natural process to evolve. As expected, the wild fermentation is done with the indigenous yeasts of the vineyard. Absolutely no intervention and no filtering until the end. The bottling is done by hand and the wines are left to rest a few months before being made available and selling out almost immediately.
You can only get them at the winery. If you meet the Tzikas family there is no way of not being enchanted by the tenacity, dedication and love for what they do. And what they do is wonderful, complex, perfectly natural wines that have made those who have tasted them look for opportunities to travel to Halkidiki and visit the winery. Because that’s where you can only find them.
We obtained a few, last bottles for ourselves and our friends. The Hamogelo Psychis (Smile of the Soul) 2015 Syrah - Nebiolo by Tzikas Family is the earth’s expression when she met her favorite varieties. One of the wines you will want to discuss with your friends and why not share it with them.
It deserves it...
Although natural, all show that it will evolve beautifully for the next 5 years.