Most everyone knows of Crete, some are aware of its Vidiano grape, but only a few are familiar with today’s producer, Iliana Malíhin. The fascinating wine in front of you is the vinous brainchild of one of the youngest, envelope-pushing female winemakers in the industry. We couldn’t be more thrilled to offer her second-ever release which, once again, amounted to less than 300 cases. Still two years under 30, Iliana has stormed onto the scene and bottled mind-blowingly pure expressions of Vidiano, an ancient indigenous variety that she’s determined to revitalize. 

Nestled in the gleaming blue waters of the Aegean Sea, off the Greek mainland and north of Africa by ~200 miles, Crete possesses a deep winemaking history. Believed to have been integrated by the Minoan civilization, vines have been cultivated here for at least 4,000 years, and the discovery of a 3,500-year-old wine press has further added to its ancient allure. 

Iliana’s Vidiano hails from organically farmed young vines hundreds of meters up the imposing slopes of Mount Vouvala, and this minimally influenced white wine has enough transcendent energy and verve to move the very landmass to which it clings. In her newly converted cellar down the mountain, the grapes are de-stemmed and the juice is gently pressed into stainless steel vessels. From here, the wine ferments via natural yeasts found on the skins of Vidiano and matures on its lees, to the calming sound of Cretan music, for six months. It is bottled unfined. In the glass, a highly energetic and textured white wine emerges: You’ll uncover high-toned notes of fleshy white peach, green pear, apricot skin, chamomile, citrus leaf, beeswax, salt-preserved lemon, dried scrub, melon peel, and a hint of herbs. Serve it after a 15-minute decant in all-purpose stems and we guarantee it’ll impress. Enjoy now and over the next 2-3 years. Cheers!