If you’re short on time today, I’ve got some great news: This might be the most concise offer we’ve ever written, and that’s not for a lack of enthusiasm, either—we couldn’t be more energized and feverish about today’s rarity. The trouble is, there’s hardly any information out there. Most of you know of Crete, a few of you may know of its rare Vidiano grape, but I’m certain nobody knows about today’s producer, Malihin-Chryssos. The fascinating wine in front of you is a literal debut, and it’s the vinous brainchild of one of the youngest female winemakers in the industry.
Coming from ungrafted vines on the slopes of Crete’s highest mountain (the 1.5-mile-high peak of Psiloritis), this naturally farmed and minimally influenced white wine has enough transcendent energy and verve to move the very landmass to which it clings. A mere 292 cases were produced for her debut, less than 40 made it overseas, and a handful of those have made it into our hands. This bottle lit up everyone’s faces around our table, even prompting (1) an apt comparison to Arianna Occhipinti and (2) a rival importer to admit wines like this made his portfolio feel hollow. That’s the hypnotic yet humble power of Malihin’s 2019 Vidiano. If you have a shred of curiosity in your blood, please do add this brand new, mesmerizing gem to your collection.
Nestled in the gleaming blue waters of the South Aegean Sea, off the Greek mainland and north of Africa by about 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. But as for contemporary winemaking? One producer has dominated the limelight, especially at SommSelect headquarters: Domaine Economou. For some time now, they’ve stood head and shoulders above the rest of their peers—not anymore. At just 27 years of age, Iliana Malihin stormed onto the scene and bottled a mind-blowingly pure, naturally fermented expression of Vidiano, a local variety that has slowly been revived. Together, with young-gun agronomist Spyros Chryssos, the pair are aiming to inject new life in Cretan wine—and with just one vintage, they’ve already succeeded.
Malihin and Chryssos’ young, ungrafted Vidiano bush vines are stationed above 2000 feet elevation and farmed both manually and organically. In their 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 bruised apricot, bergamot oil, Anjou pear, and white peach skin alongside chamomile, crushed rock, lime leaf, beeswax, salt-preserved lemon, loose white tea, dried scrub, melon peel, and a hint of herbs. Although approaching full-bodied on the palate, each creamy, orchard-fruited layer leaves a long-lasting, highly refreshing mineral imprint. Serve it after a 15-minute decant in all-purpose stems and we guarantee it’ll impress. Enjoy now and over the next several years. Cheers!
