Kotsifali Sweet

The only monovarietal dessert wine from the quintessentially red variety of Crete, Kotsifali, from sun-dried organic grapes.

  • Grower: Stilianou
  • Vintage: 2017
  • Grapes: Kotsifali 100%
  • Appellation: PGI Crete
  • Alcohol: 14.50%
  • Bottle: 500ml
  • Viticulture: Dry, Organic (certified)
  • Vinification: Sun drying of grapes on traditional wooden “tsisveres” for 8 days
  • Notes: Light ruby color, with spicy and ripe fruits aromas, and a full, rich palate, with soft tannins.
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Viticulture

  • Dry, Organic (certified)
  • Climate: Subtle Winter, humid Fall, breezy Summer with temperature variance
  • Soil: Limestone with some rock
  • Vine age: Planted between 1982 and 2011
  • Altitude: 400m
  • Slope: 3-15%
  • Planting density: 3,400 plants / ha
  • Yield: 2-3kg / plant
  • Irrigation: None
  • Spraying: None
  • Harvesting: Manual

Vinification

  • Maceration: Stainless steel with sun dried grapes
  • Yeast: Indigenous with neutral culture added at the end of fermentation
  • Malolactic: Natural (completed)
  • Maturation: a few months on its lees in stainless steel with periodic stirring, 24 months in new and old French oak, 24 more months in stainless steel, and 12 months in the bottle
  • Clarification: None
  • Filtration: None
  • Production: 800 lt
  • Alcohol: 14.50%
  • Acidity: 72 gr/l
  • RS: 210 gr/l
  • Total sulfites: 50 mg/l
  • Certification: Organic grapes
  • Bottle: 750ml

Giannis Stilianou and his teenage son, personally tend to their 3 hectares of organic vineyards, planted only with indigenous Cretan varieties. There is no irrigation or any kind of spraying. The vines are stressed under the hot, Cretan Sun, and then cooled off by the mountain breeze. This shows in the impressive concentration and intense aromatics of the artisanal Stilianou wines.

Crete is the biggest island of Greece, and home to one of the most impressive ancient civilizations, the Minoan.

Heraklion, the fourth largest Greek city and largest city of Crete, is located in the center of the island. It is very picturesque and full of ancient ruins in and around it, spanning thousands of years and many different civilizations, including the Minoan, Byzantine, Venetian, and Arab.

South of Heraklion lies Knossos, the most famous ancient city of Minoan times, with the well preserved and famous homonymous palace, with its bright red pillars and wall art of the time.