Fact File Preknadi
Area grown: Northern and Central Greece, notably in the region of Naoussa
History: Preknadi (synonyms are Priknadi, Prekna, Prekniariko) was cultivated extensively in the vineyards of the Naoussa region five to six decades ago. The zone was invaded by phylloxera in the 1960ies and the majority of Preknadi plantings were lost. Growers and winemakers have only very recently started to concentrate their efforts once again on the variety. The name Preknadi stems from the Greek word “prekniaris”, which means “freckle face”: The skin of the grape is dotted with spots.
Grapes: The plant is fertile and medium productive, very sensitive to Botrytis, but also quite resistant to drought. It begins vegetation in early April and matures in the first half of September. The resulting wines are often fairly high (for Greek standards) in alcohol, with medium acidity. They can evolve beautiful over a couple of years.
Nose/bouquet: Stone fruit, pear, banana, apricot, aromatic. Medium bodied with balanced acidity, solid expression of fruit on the mid-palate, followed by a lovely finish that lingers around for a surprisingly long time.
[...] Diamantakos, Naoussa 2007 and Preknadi 2011: I am thrilled to introduce the wines from this small family winery for the first time ever to the US market. 2.5 ha of Xinomavro were planted in the late 1970’s, and 1.6 ha of Preknadi vines were added in 2006. Georgos Diamantakos, the 34 year old oenologist, is one of the rising stars of the appellation. The production figures are small with around 8000 bottles of Naoussa and another 4000 bottles of Preknadi being produced annually. The Naoussa 2007 is concentrated and complex, with an elegant texture and an almost Côte Rôtie like aromatic quality. Add to this the distinctive taste of black olives, and you get a sense of its uniqueness. For more info on the Preknadi variety, please see my entry from earlier this year here. [...]