The Terroir
Vines rooted in the mountain stone, between 560 and 900 metres, facing Psiloritis.
Mélambes — high on Mount Vouvala
On the slopes of Mount Vouvala, above Mélambes, the vineyards spread between 560 and 900 metres and wrap right around the mountain, so they face every possible aspect, the south-western side looking out over the Libyan Sea. The cool mountain air and the wide day-to-night temperature swings give aromatics, lively acidity and slow ripening. The vines sit mostly on terraces and the vineyards divide into young ones of 7 to 15 years and old pre-phylloxera ones of over 150.
Fourfouras — at the foot of Psiloritis
The highest mountain in Crete: at 640m lie the pre-phylloxera vines of Fourfouras. South-facing, they take the cold air masses coming off the mountain, which makes for a distinctly cool microclimate, giving the wine sharp acidity and more exotic aromatics.
Meronas — looking towards Psiloritis
Vineyards of old Liatiko. In a fairly cool microclimate, thanks to the dense vegetation of the area and a soil that is mostly clay, this place gives us grapes of pronounced character and high phenolic potential that reach good ripeness and give a wine capable of ageing for many years.
The fire of 2022
In 2022 wildfires destroyed more than 80% of these ancient vines. Thanks to their deep roots, many survived. With the experience of the older growers, who had lived through fire before, we applied a technique in which the burnt trunk is cut away and the new shoot opening from the base is staked, so that it goes on to form the new trunk. A story of resilience that lives in every bottle.
Biodiversity
Organic farming as a philosophy of life: with respect for nature, for the vine and for people.
Living soil
We farm organically, practising regenerative agriculture. Work in the vineyards is done by hand. Among the vines you will find many different grasses and a range of natural hosts. Leaving the soil untilled helps us hold moisture and organic matter, keeping the ground alive and feeding a whole microcosm beneath the vines.
Indigenous varieties
Vidiano, Thrapsathiri, Melissaki, Plyto, Liatiko, Kotsifali, Mavroromeiko and other rare Cretan varieties, a bank of genetic material. A wealth we safeguard by planting these same varieties, which have adapted to our land over hundreds of years.
In harmony with the landscape
Trees, phrygana scrub and wild vegetation frame the vines. Bees, birds and insects find shelter, a mosaic of life that makes the vineyard more resilient and the wine more honest.
“This land does not belong to us, it belongs to the next generation, so we take care to hand it on as we found it from our grandfathers”
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The growersCome and meet us
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