Chlori

Siflogo - Lefkada Island - Ionian sea - Chlori - Orange natural wine with zero added sulfites - ORGANIC wine - Eklektikon - Greek wine

Chlori is a rare variety, practically saved from oblivion thanks to the viticultural passion of Dionysis Papanikolopoulos. This is a zero-zero vinification with a few days of skin contact, to showcase this unique almost extinct variety in all its purity.

  • Grower: Siflogo
  • Vintage: 2022
  • Type: Orange Dry Wine
  • Grapes: Chlori 100%
  • Appellation: Varietal
  • Alcohol: 13.40%
  • Bottle: 750ml
  • Viticulture: Certified Organic
  • Vinification: 4 days of skin contact, spontaneous fermentation for 30 days, partial lees removal and elevation for a few months in stainless steel tank. Bottled unfiltered and unfined without additives or sulfites.
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Viticulture

  • Certified Organic
  • Climate: Humid Mediterranean
  • Soil: Rocky limestone
  • Vine age: Planted in 1984
  • Altitude: 500m
  • Slope: 20%
  • Planting density: 6,500 shoots / ha
  • Yield: 1.2kg / plant
  • Irrigation: Anhydrous
  • Spraying: Once with Bordeaux mix in the beginning of summer
  • Harvesting: Manually in crates

Vinification

  • Maceration: Skin contact for 4 days
  • Pressing: Pneumatic press with moderate pressure
  • Temperature Control: During maceration (8-10ºC) and temperature maintenance (<24ºC) during fermentation
  • Fermentation: Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeast in stainless steel tank for 30 days
  • Malolactic: Naturally completed
  • Maturation: 6 months in stainless steel tank
  • Clarification: None
  • Filtration: None
  • Production: 700 lt
  • Alcohol: 13.40%
  • Acidity: 5.20 gr/l
  • RS: 0.70 gr/l
  • Total sulfites: 0 mg/l
  • Certification: USDA Organic Wine
  • Bottle: 750ml

Siflogo is a small organic wine “workshop” (as their owners call it), which was founded in 1994 by Dionysis and Maria Papanikolopoulos, in the small, mountainous village “Platystoma”, on the island of Lefkada in the Ionian sea. Their son, Vasilis, is also involved and destined to take over after a few years.

Viticulture and winemaking has been a family tradition and occupation for many generations. Its production is limited to a handful of “pure” wine bottles. The family has been farming organically (certified) the island’s indigenous grapes: Vertzami, Vardea, but also more obscure grapes, like Mavropatrino, Chlori, Thiako, Apsrovartzamo, Kokkinostafylo.

At an altitude of 500m on the dry, poor, limestone rocky soils – which have never seen chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or any harmful intervention – the vines struggle to produce low yields, which, however, lead to impressive results in the winery. Farming is done exclusively by hand, with only a little help from plant fertilization, bluestone, and sulphur.

Lefkada is renowned for its physical beauty. Picturesque villages, dense vegetation, impressive bays with clear green-blue waters, organized and isolated beaches of immense beauty, a strong local culture, and hospitable residents.

It is the fourth largest (both in size and population) island of the Ionian sea, with about 23,000 residents. It is also one of the only two Greek islands, that are connected to the mainland through a bridge (the other being Evia).

The topography of the island features steep mountains, multiple bays and little peninsulas, essentially forming fascinating fjords, and impressive world famous beaches. The most famous ones are Porto Katsiki, Kathisma, and Egremni.