An extraordinary wine from Kamara Pure in northern Greece: a skin-contact Assyrtiko made with pine resin added during fermentation following the ancient recipe for Retsina, producing a wine that is at once orange wine, natural Retsina, and something entirely its own.
Tasting Notes
Herbal and vegetal on the nose with an intensive expression of bergamot, kumquat, resin, and thyme. Hints of Chios mastic on the finish confirm the quality of the pine resin used. Balanced acidity with a long, fruity, herbal aftertaste. This is not the aggressive Retsina of the tourist trap — it is ancient Greek winemaking reinterpreted through a natural wine lens, and it is extraordinary.
Quick Facts
- Grape: 100% Assyrtiko
- Origin: Greece, Kamara, Oraiokastro Thessaloniki (140m altitude, silty clay loam soils)
- Style: Natural Retsina, orange wine, zero added sulphur
- Winemaking: 5 to 8 days skin maceration in stainless steel, high-quality pine resin from Evia mountains added during fermentation, spontaneous fermentation, indigenous yeast, 3 months on fine lees in old barriques, no protein stabilisation, no fining or filtration, zero sulphur
- Suitable for vegetarians and vegans
Food Pairing
Grilled fish, seafood, white meats, aged cheeses, and mezze. Also genuinely excellent with herb-driven dishes and anything with lemon.
Serving
Serve at 12-14°C. Open 15 minutes before serving. Will evolve significantly in the glass.
About the Producer
Kamara Pure is a small natural wine estate in northern Greece, farming organically in Oraiokastro, Thessaloniki, with Xinomavro and Assyrtiko as their focus varieties. The estate is part of a growing movement of Greek natural wine producers working to rehabilitate the country's exceptional indigenous varieties and ancient winemaking traditions.
