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Kontozisis

Sun Red 2014

Sale price: $28.95 Regular price:$30.95
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Tasting notes

Limniona brings bright dark cherry, pomegranate, and a floral lift rarely found in Greek reds, while Xinomavro pulls the wine toward dried herbs, earth, and firm structure. At 13% ABV with two months of skin contact and zero pressing, the texture is genuinely silky rather than extracted — a combination that is hard to find at any price point.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Black CherryPomegranateEarthThyme
  • Style: Dry, medium-bodied red; 50% Limniona, 50% Xinomavro; earthy, floral, and mineral; 13% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 50% Limniona, 50% Xinomavro; certified organic since 1991; sandy-loamy soils; 250-350m elevation; Kanalia and Dafnospilia, Karditsa, Thessaly
  • Winemaking: Spontaneous fermentation; free-run only, no press; ~2 months skin and stem contact; 10 months in old neutral oak; bottled unfiltered with minimal sulfites
  • Serving: Serve at 58-62F; 20-30 min decant recommended
  • Pairing: Lamb, grilled pork, moussaka, roasted mushrooms, aged hard cheese
  • Similar To: For fans of Pinot Noir and Mencía who want earthy Mediterranean character and genuine acidity

Sun Red is a 50/50 blend of Limniona and Xinomavro grown in the Karditsa prefecture of Thessaly, central Greece. The vineyards sit on the foothills of Mount Agrafa across two distinct terroirs between the villages of Kanalia and Dafnospilia, in sandy-loamy soils with low organic matter and neutral pH, at elevations between 250 and 350 meters. Kontozisis has held certified organic status since 1991, one of the first producers in Greece to do so, farming without synthetic inputs and harvesting entirely by hand from estate-owned vines that yield around 28 hectoliters per hectare.

In the cellar, the wine is made with no commercial yeasts and no press — only free-run juice. Skin and stem contact lasts approximately two months, followed by ten months of aging in old, neutral barrels. The wine is bottled unfiltered with a small addition of sulfites. No fining, no enzymes, no oenological corrections.

Limniona is an ancient Thessalian variety that nearly disappeared and is known for medium body, high natural acidity, fine-grained tannins, and aromatic notes of dark red fruit, herbs, and minerals. Xinomavro adds structure, spice, and earthy depth. Together they produce a wine that reads as both lighter-styled and genuinely substantive — red fruit on the nose, savory grip on the finish.

The high acidity and moderate tannins make this a natural match for lamb dishes, grilled pork, and tomato-based stews like moussaka or pastitsio. Works well with aged hard cheeses and roasted mushrooms. Slight chill at 58-62F brings out the wine's fruit without dulling its savory finish.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Limniona, Xinomavro
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2014
Alcohol:, 13%
Country:, Greece
Region:, Thessaly
Appellation:, PGI Karditsa
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Kontozisis

Kontozisis Organic Vineyards is a family winery in Karditsa, Thessaly. Andreas Kontozisis, together with his father and brother, began planting vines in 1991 on abandoned plots near the village of Kanalia, on the northeastern foothills of the Agrafa mountains, originally to supply their own restaurant. The winery now farms approximately 12 hectares across two distinct terroirs between Kanalia and Dafnospilia, working with around 140 small, scattered plots. Andreas's partner Aphrodite Tousia handles all vineyard and cellar work alongside him by hand.

Kontozisis received certified organic status in 1991 — one of the first producers in Greece to do so — and has maintained it continuously since. The estate farms with green manures, natural compost, and minimal plowing to protect soil structure, with no synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. Grapes are handpicked in small crates and sorted in the vineyard. Yields are low at approximately 28 hectoliters per hectare.

In the cellar, Kontozisis uses no commercial yeasts and no press; all wines are made from free-run juice only. Fermentation is spontaneous. Depending on the wine, aging takes place in stainless steel, old neutral oak barrels, concrete, or clay amphorae. No fining agents or oenological additives are used. Wines are bottled unfiltered, with sulfites added only in minimal quantities. The estate's principal focus has been the revival of Limniona, an indigenous red variety of Thessaly that it has championed since its founding.

Wine region

Thessaly, Greece

Karditsa is a prefecture in the western part of Thessaly, in the heart of mainland Greece, bordered by the Southern Pindos range and the Agrafa mountains to the southwest. Vineyards must be planted above 100 meters elevation under the PGI Karditsa designation, which excludes the flat parts of the Thessalian plain. The climate is strongly continental — hot, dry summers with significant diurnal temperature swings driven by the inland position and mountain elevations. Soils across the region range from sandy-loam to clay with pockets of gravel, and average water retention is sufficient for dry-land farming without irrigation.

Thessaly as a whole holds eight Protected Geographical Indications, including PGI Karditsa, PGI Tyrnavos, PGI Meteora, and the regional-level PGI Thessalia covering the entire department. The key indigenous red variety of Karditsa is Limniona, an ancient thick-skinned grape indigenous to Thessaly that had nearly vanished and thrives in the region's hot days and cold nights. Xinomavro, better known from Naoussa in Macedonia, also grows in the area and contributes structure and spice. White varieties including Malagousia and Roditis round out the regional picture.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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